The importance of Teacher Assistants for an inclusive education system

Abstract

Educational policies aim to be increasingly inclusive, as can be seen from the use of this terminology in national and international laws and initiatives. One of the support figures that has traditionally been linked to the presence of students with disabilities or difficulties in behaviour-self-regulation in ordinary classrooms is the non-teaching support staff. Even being studied internationally and despite the presence of these professionals in the classrooms and the important role that they have in achieving an increasingly inclusive system, there is hardly any data of them in the Spanish context. This article aims to raise awareness regarding the evidence about Teacher Assistants and show the three figures present in the Catalan education system: the special education educators (EEE), the special education assistants (EEA) and support instructors (known as carers). Thus, the Catalan case is explained, and the different recommended models are collected and integrated, without ignoring the concerns about training, requirements and contextual conditions. In sum, the importance of conceiving support in a more distributed manner and the adoption of an educational role that goes beyond mere assistance is highlighted.