ABSTRACT
Paraprofessionals have been working in the German school system for many years, supporting pupils with special needs. Paraprofessionals are not an entirely new occupational group in Germany, especially not in special schools. This chapter argues that paraprofessionals have an ambiguous role in inclusive schooling. It describes the conditions of employment and deployment of paraprofessionals in Germany, in which we see this ambivalence laid out, as the application process represents a high hurdle and stigmatises children. The chapter localises the ambiguous roles of paraprofessionals within a school system that has so far not been sufficiently oriented towards systemic inclusion, and within a job description that explicitly prohibits paraprofessionals from taking responsibility for pedagogical and teaching activities.
