TEACHING assistants are increasingly having to stand in for teachers because of staff shortages due to cuts and redundancies, the GMB warned yesterday.

Job descriptions for teaching assistants and learning support assistants state that they are allowed to teach pupils — but only under the supervision of a qualified teacher, the union said.

GMB organiser Daren Parmenter said: “Budget cuts and redundancies mean that more of our members are spending more time in the classroom alone, sometimes full days, carrying out the role of a teacher when the teacher is either absent or carrying out other duties.

“Expecting our members to do the job of a teacher and only be paid for some of it is unethical and archaic, and then to leave them on their own with a full class leaves our members vulnerable and at risk.”