ABSTRACT
Teaching Assistants (TA) hold a central position in the field of special educational needs and are seen internationally as a 'primary tool' for inclusion. Looking at the work of TAs enables us to apply critical imagination about inclusion to real practical situations. The work of TAs, closely involved for at least 30, perhaps 50, years with the learning of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, deserves careful study. In the context of trying to reduce class size and implement progressive plans for primary education, Plowden advocated the employment of ancillaries, assistants and teachers' aides. TAs enhances teaching and learning for children, support teachers in all their role, support individuals across the range of special educational needs and/or disabilities and promote social justice and inclusion. TAs are asked to achieve this in an increasingly deregulated and diverse range of schools in a context of fiscal austerity.
