Classroom shake up 'will hit education' NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS ROUND-UP.

Byline: By TIM ROSS [e-mail]

TEACHERS will raise concerns today over reforms to their working hours that give a bigger role to classroom assistants.

Under changes coming into force in September, teachers will be entitled to set 10per cent of their working week aside for marking and preparing lessons.

But delegates at the Professional Association of Teachers' (Pat) annual conference in Buxton, Derbyshire, will voice fears that the move could compromise children's education.

Pat will debate a motion warning that primary school pupils in particular could suffer from poorer quality lessons as a result of the changes.

The reforms have already sparked a major row between classroom teachers' unions, heads and the government over how schools can provide staff cover for lessons.

Schools Minister Jacqui Smith is expected to tackle the issue when she speaks to the conference later today.

The union's new chairman Lynn Edwards said the introduction of so-called planning, preparation and assessment time was very welcome and "well overdue" but expressed fears that it might result in classes being dealt with by people who are unqualified.

The country's biggest heads' union pulled out of the national deal to implement the reforms, claiming that schools did not have enough money to hire staff to cover lessons.

Some heads have threatened to break the law this autumn if ministers do not give them more funds.

Others have warned that they may be forced to send children home at lunchtime on Fridays if they cannot hire more staff.

Classroom teachers' unions have threatened industrial action if they do not get this extra preparation time.

The conference will also debate a motion to abolish formal testing for 11-year-olds in favour of tests when pupils reach 13.