Teachers want teachers hired before more EAs

An overwhelming majority of Manitoba teachers believe the most effective way to reduce teacher workload is hiring more teachers.

Their view differs from several school boards that have put forward budgets that include hiring more educational assistants at the expense of teaching positions.

Each year MTS surveys its members on teaching and public school issues. Teachers’ top concerns have remained more or less the same for the last five years: student behaviour and discipline, class size, job stress and too many demands.

In the November 2007 survey, teachers were asked to choose the most effective way to reduce their workload: hire more teachers to allow for smaller classes or hire more educational assistants to help teachers with special needs students.

Almost four out of five teachers (78 per cent) chose hiring more teachers compared to just 16 per cent who felt that hiring more educational assistants would be the most effective solution. Five per cent said they thought both would be effective.

An article in the December issue of The Manitoba Teacher described the dramatic rise in the number of educational assistants in the province over the last several years. The current ratio of teachers to EAs is one EA for every two teachers. If trends continue it could reach one to one by 2012.

The MTS booklet, Teachers and Educational Assistants-Roles and Responsibilities (available on mbteach.org) states that, “Educational assistants, with guidance and supervision from teachers, can play a key role in bringing the wealth of experiences of life beyond school into the classroom to enrich the lives of students. While educational assistants can help broaden children’s experiences, there is no such thing as a definitive list of educational assistants’ duties and responsibilities. Ultimately, teachers decide how best to work with educational assistants.”

MTS research indicates that for some teachers, having an EA in their classroom may add to their workload. In 2004, nearly seven out of 10 teachers said having an educational assistant decreased their workload. However, one year later in December 2005, only 56 per cent said the EA decreased their workload—a decline of 13 per cent in one year. One in five teachers said having an EA actually increased their workload and another 20 per cent said it depends.

It is easy to see why having an EA in the classroom has an effect on a teacher’s job. For the most part, classroom teachers say they have primary responsibility for developing the work plan and supervising the work of the EA. According to the December 2005 survey, six in 10 teachers have at least one EA working with them in their classrooms. The average number of EAs working with a teacher is two.  These findings were similar in 2004.  

MTS uses the results of its annual member survey to plan programs and services that best meet the needs of its members. Each year an outside firm is hired to conduct an anonymous telephone survey of 800 MTS members. The sample mirrors the makeup of the teaching population in the province based on such factors as gender, locale, age, and teaching assignment. The latest survey was conducted in mid-November 2007 with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Most Effective Method of Reducing Teacher Workload

Educational assistants increase or decrease workload
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