Editorial: Value role of teacher aides

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There are about 9000 aides and support staff across primary and secondary schools in New Zealand.

Schools pay support staff from their operational grants, which were not increased in the 2016 Government Budget.

The teachers' union wants an increase in operational grants, and says schools should not have to juggle budgets - that will lead to cuts in hours for other staff, and that's not fair on schools.

Teacher aides work with kids who have learning or physical disabilities, or a point of difference, like ADHD or autism.

Without an aide, a different child struggles, and so does their teacher. Because struggling kids take up more of a teacher's time, which impacts on other children's learning.

So aides are there to help a classroom function smoothly, and give kids who struggle a hand.

Teacher aides also contribute to the social development of a special needs child.

By being there, the child stays within their peer group.

As a parent of a child who required a teacher aide during her schooling, I believe the current aide system fails.

A child who struggles to learn needs specialist teaching to reach their potential.

In a utopian world, teacher aides would be better qualified than teachers. And special needs kids would fulfil their maximum potential.

The current system doesn't fail for want of great people - it fails because it is a flawed system.

Along with what teacher aides are paid, it is a debate worth having.

The number of special needs kids isn't going to suddenly reduce, so it's a problem that's not going to go away.

At best, special needs kids do achieve to their maximum potential because of a great teacher aide.

But at worst, teacher aides are baby sitting special needs kids until they pop out into the world as young adults unprepared for life.