I am working as a classroom assistant in a primary school, although I actually trained to be a nursery nurse. Because I work as a classroom assistant I am paid a low wage, and I am finding it really hard to find a post as a nursery nurse due to the difference in pay between the positions. No-one wants to pay nursery nurses the wages they deserve when they can get classroom assistants at a much lower rate. I am also involved in the planning to cater for the needs for my group of seven children who have special needs. I assess and record the children's progress as well as set targets through Individual Education Plans termly.
I am working as a classroom assistant in a primary school, although I actually trained to be a nursery nurse. Because I work as a classroom assistant I am paid a low wage, and I am finding it really hard to find a post as a nursery nurse due to the difference in pay between the positions. No-one wants to pay nursery nurses the wages they deserve when they can get classroom assistants at a much lower rate.
I am also involved in the planning to cater for the needs for my group of seven children who have special needs. I assess and record the children's progress as well as set targets through Individual Education Plans termly.
I think classroom assistants are taken advantage of and are expected to do a lot more than they are paid for. But what is going to be done about this?
I know I am only one of thousands of nursery nurses being treated like this. The question I ask myself is why did I go to college full-time for two years and yet earn a wage I could have got by working in the local shop since leaving school? The answer is the love of children.
Marie Henderson Via e-mail
