Introduction

Teachers or instructors of children and young people have always had their assistants. The Greeks, teaching in the open air did. The Victorians are well documented for using the older pupils as pupil teachers. During the 1960s, the teacher unions were struggling, first to ensure that all teachers were qualified, and then to gain graduate status for qualified teachers. Largely because of this, ‘unqualified’ ancillaries were derided as usurping the teachers’ place. However, many schools employed welfare assistants to help with first aid, caring tasks and menial classroom tasks such as paper cutting or paint pot washing. The early 1990s saw the beginnings of serious research into staff supporting in the classroom, and women were seen as a possible ‘Mum’s army’ to support those teaching children under eight years old. The first qualifications for assistants started to appear, although many concentrated on provisions in the early years of education.