Check proper teachers are giving lessons; Unions warn against use of 'cheap labour.

Byline: By TOM BODDEN

UNION leaders last night urged parents to check kids were being taught by teachers, not unqualified classroom assistants.

From this month, a new workload agreement guarantees a minimum of 10% of teachers" working time - 2.5 hours-a-day - will be away from the classroom for planning, preparation and assessment.

But some teachers' leaders warned non-qualified support assistants could be employed as cheaper labour to plug teaching gaps in the timetable.

Gethin Lewis, Welsh secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said it welcomed the statutory time set aside for preparatory work.

"It's a step forward, particularly in primary schools, but a step that must be properly funded.

"The NUT did not sign the workload agreement precisely because we had fears about its funding and the prospect of non-qualified support staff teaching lessons on their own.

"Are you sure that your child will continue to be taught by qualified teachers from this September?"

The union's conference voted real reductions in workload could only be met by funding schools to recruit enough qualified teachers both to cover absence and release staff for work outside the classroom But it rejected non-teacher qualified staff taking on teaching duties, claiming support staff should be properly rewarded for the work they carry out.

Conservative education spokesman William Graham said that education minister Jane Davidson should outline her plans to ensure sufficient qualified staff were recruited.

"The minister must also guarantee that the provision of this lesson preparation time for teachers, approximately 2.5 hours each day away from the class room, will not be met by pupils being taught by non-qualified teaching staff."

He called for guarantees that during the first week of the new school year lesson preparation and assessment time would be fully funded and classroom assistants would not be expected to substitute for teachers. Janet Ryder, Plaid Cymru shadow education minister said: "I fear it is an inevitable consequence of New Labour's failure to fully fund the implementation of the teachers' workload agreement that because of a shortage of funds, some schools in Wales will be forced into a situation where unqualified classroom assistants will be teaching classes simply because they are cheaper to employ."

A Welsh Assembly government spokesperson insisted last night teachers and school support staff were "not interchangeable."

"There are regulations in place that enable support staff to work with pupils, provided this is done in support of and under the direction of a qualified teacher and that the headteacher is satisfied they have the necessary skills, expertise and experience