SCHOOL support staff and parents protested in Leeds today, demanding an end to poverty pay, more funding to teach children with special educational needs and the building of more specialised schools.

General union GMB says teaching assistants on the lowest pay grade for their job suffer “poverty pay” and that the placing of special needs children in mainstream schools can cause huge problems.

The protest took place outside Leeds Civic Hall, where Leeds City Council was due to discuss special needs educational provision.

GMB convener James Wilton told the Morning Star that teaching assistants’ job descriptions should be reviewed and their lowest pay grade should be abolished.

He said GMB also wants more training for teaching assistants to help special needs children.

“We also want to see the government build more special needs schools,” he said.

“Educational psychologists are leaving in droves. Pupils who need special needs schools are being put in mainstream schools.

“The only way some of these children can express themselves is through assaulting our members. It is not the children’s fault.”

GMB local rep Rachel Robertson said: “We have teaching assistants doubling-up to work with special needs children who can be violent.

“Teaching assistants are not always given the training on how to deal with this.

“Schools are not being given the funding for providing for special needs children and are having to pay out of their own budgets.”

The union said the problems were nationwide.

After the protest, a delegation of parents and union representatives attended the meeting of Leeds City Council to put their case.