South of the border, Secretary of State for Education Estelle Morris wants classroom assistants to be able to take classes to help free up teachers to plan lessons, work on target setting and monitor performances.

No such move has been suggested in Scotland, where it would undoubtedly meet with fundamental opposition - just as English teaching unions oppose Ms Morris’s plans - were it ever proposed. However, courses for classroom assistants to develop their abilities are available and some assistants are already making the move into teacher training.

One local authority promoting both professional development for classroom assistants and encouraging some to enter teaching training if they show the aptitude for it is Stirling.

The head of Stirling’s children’s services, Gordon Jeyes, says: “In modern education we want progress, so it’s good that classroom assistants are doing professional development and that six out of our 30 classroom assistants are part of a pilot to become fully qualified teachers.”

One of those six is Stacey Collier-West, a classroom assistant at St Mary’s Primary in Stirling. She already has a degree in deaf studies (with health studies) from the University of Wolverhampton and is studying for a PGCE part-time through the University of Strathclyde at Jordanhill. Her training involves a five-week placement in term one, then one day per week (which she spends in St Ninian’s Primary, Stirling), followed by a full week at the end of each block. She also attends lectures during the Easter and summer holidays.

“There are 17 of us altogether in Scotland,” says Ms Collier-West. “It takes two years to complete part-time. It allows me to continue working as a classroom assistant and to do my placements within the authority.

“I do find it challenging, suddenly to have to think as a teacher rather than an assistant, but the support in schools and from the authority is tremendous.”

Ms Collier-West may not be a typical classroom assistant in that she has always had an eye on teaching and consciously chose her classroom assistant role in order to test her vocation. She is now determined to qualify.

Another classroom assistant who is determined to develop professionally is Linda McCloy. She has been in her position at Raploch Primary in Stirling for three years, moving on from a role as support for learning assistant in the school. Previously she worked as a classroom assistant in Hampshire and at a services school in Hong Kong. Before that, Mrs McCloy actually started teacher training but gave it up when her soldier husband was stationed abroad.

“I’m training with North Glasgow College to develop my skills as a classroom assistant and the authority is sponsoring me to do a BA in early childhood studies through Dundee University. I’ve completed one module so far and hope to complete the degree. After that I’ll consider doing a PGCE,” she says.

Mrs McCloy believes there should be a qualification for classroom assistants to achieve so that teachers are “happy” that they are qualified in some way. “But it should not threaten the teacher’s role or job,” she insists.

“There’s no promotion in the CA set-up and the money isn’t brilliant, so really you have to switch to a new career structure if you want to progress.

“As an assistant you have to get on with children and respect the teacher in charge of them, respect their style and way of managing the class.

“They have to totally trust you. We’re there to support the teachers and the children and you’ve got to earn that trust as an assistant.”

Liz Baillie, who has been a classroom assistant at Cornton Primary in Stirling for the past three years, is also studying at North Glasgow College, working towards a National Qualification Award through Scottish Qualifications Authority modules. “I’m doing modules on the role of a classroom assistant and on child development and play,” she says.

“I was originally a school helper at Cornton and before that I was the lollipop lady. Next stop, headship!” she laughs.

“Actually, if I was younger I might consider teacher training. But not now. I just love the job - maybe because I’m the biggest child in the school!” Mrs Baillie’s week is split between two classes, a composite P3-P4 and P5. She feels her most important role is in helping the pupils gain confidence and in reinforcing the work the teacher does.

“I hope I make a difference. You do get a buzz when you see a child learning from you or through you; that’s what makes it worthwhile.

“We’re all equal in this school, a real team. I do feel needed, and encouraging kids to learn here and throughout life is what it’s all about. That’s my philosophy.”

In the P3-P4 class, she works with first year probationer teacher Louise Slack. “As a probationer I felt the benefits (of having a classsroom assistant) the day I started because Mrs Baillie knew the school, how it worked, where everything was and how individual things worked, like the computer network.

“She’s a great help, especially in a composite class. She helps with practical exercises and reinforces what I teach, as well as relieving me of clerical work.”

Cornton Primary’s headteacher, Moira Rennie, believes Mrs Baillie’s role has helped to raise achievement levels. “I think she’s made a huge difference.

“In our reading results we were achieving about 25 per cent of nationally approved levels three years ago. We’re now at 90 per cent and she must have contributed to that.”

It is up to individual headteachers as to how they deploy their classroom assistants. At Raploch Primary, Mrs McCloy supports P4 full-time because it is the largest class in the school.

“That’s why she’s there,” says headteacher Ann Stewart. “And also because these eight-year-olds have just moved out of infants and still want an adult to listen to them. They’re at that transition stage.”

Mrs Stewart also describes her classroom assistant as “our computer guru”, the one who puts together programmes.

Mrs Rennie also describes Cornton Primary’s classroom assistant as one of the school’s two information and communications technology specialists, the other being a senior teacher.

And at St Mary’s Primary, ICT co-ordinator and senior teacher Tom McGhee praises Ms Collier-West’s skills. “I think attainment in general has been raised with the reinforcement work which the classroom assistant does, especially in ICT,” he says.

Naturally, the classroom assistants enjoy feeling they make a difference. Mrs McCloy says: “I prefer the class work but the clerical work always needs to be done and that’s a vital part of the job. It’s so varied. In one morning you can be doing art work, reading, photocopying and computer work.

“But the real pleasure of the job is to know you’re helping the children move forward.”

Ms Collier-West believes classroom assistants can befriend pupils in a different way to teachers and that sometimes pupils will confide a problem in them because they are not official teachers.

“I think assistants have more leeway in their approach and maybe that’s why some pupils feel they can confide,” she says.

Maureen McMenaman, one of the two St Mary’s teachers whom Ms Collier-West assists, says: “It’s good for pupils to have another adult in the class, emotionally as well as socially and academically, because the pupils see the assistant as different from both the teacher and the auxiliary staff in the school.

“It helps them get rid of the notion of a strict hierarchical pecking order and they learn to respect and to value the non-teaching staff more as a result. They learn to see the value of all the adults.”

Senga Luti, the teacher supported by Mrs McCloy, says: “Initially it seems daunting to have someone in your class all the time. But you quickly see the benefits and advantages and soon realise how much you’ll miss her when she moves to another class.”

At Cornton Primary, Mrs Rennie says: “We were promised three classroom assistants, but only got the one. Once you’ve got one, you really don’t want to do without. Every teacher should have a classroom assistant.”

Her thoughts are echoed by Mrs Stewart at Raploch Primary. “Additional people help more than additional resources and we could certainly use a classroom assistant in every class. I believe it’s feasible and very much the way forward.

“If every class had an assistant of Mrs McCloy’s calibre we’d see a difference in raising attainment because she can help keep pupils on task and get them through more work in a day.”

Stirling’s access services manager, Anita Smillie, says that classroom assistants are proving “a really useful resource” and the council is recruiting 30 or so more this year with the Scottish Executive’s Excellence Fund, enhanced by McCrone agreement funding.

Stirling is also undertaking a quality audit on support for children and young people which will include a specific focus on the role of classroom assistants.

“We’ve no scientific evidence of their impact as yet, but anecdotally the suggestion is that classroom assistants are affecting attainment positively.”

Raising classroom attainment

Strathclyde University is piloting two part-time courses aimed at people already employed in primary schools as classroom assistants, nursery nurses or as support for learning assistants.

The first, for graduates, takes two years and leads to a teaching qualification. Applicants must be sponsored by, or work for, one of four local authorities: Glasgow, Stirling, North or South Lanarkshire. As well as a degree, Higher English and Credit level maths are required. The second, running in co-operation with Glasgow Council, takes two years and leads to a certificate in childhood studies and opens the way to a BA degree.

Strathclyde says the courses are successful and there is a market for continuing with them, but no decision on future funding has yet been made.

Meanwhile, most classroom assistants are satisfied with their job, according to the interim report last autumn from a two-year Scottish Council for Research in Education study. Teachers said the presence of an assistant gave more time for teaching and planning.

The Scottish Executive is pledged to provide for 5,000 classroom assistants by March through the pound;65 million three-year Excellence Fund. The McCrone agreement will fund 3,500 extra support staff by 2004. Last September there were 2,600 in primary schools at salaries from pound;8,000.

THE PUPILS’ VIEWS

Here is what P3 and P4 pupils at Cornton Primary, Stirling, wrote “All about Mrs Baillie”.

* When I get stuck Mrs Baillie always has time for me.

* If you got in a mudle with celitip ori glue she will get you out.

* She is always kind, nice and polite.

* If we’r working with art she gives us tips.

* If you’r bord she is always fun.

* When youed losed something she always finds it for you.

* If youed fell and it is a cut she will hold you’r hand, if it nips.

* Mrs baily helpt me on the pc.

* She helps with reading and helps poot stuff up.

* She is the most cherfull hellpur in the hole world and shes never down.