THREE quarters of the public think that teaching assistants are not paid enough, a damning new GMB survey reveals.

The Survation poll shows that 74 per cent feel that the average teaching assistant’s earnings — £13,856 last year — were too low, with nearly half (48 per cent) saying that it was much too low.

Just under eight in 10 (78 per cent) of the more than 1,000 adults quizzed agree that support staff should receive overtime payments if they are asked to help pupils catch up following Covid-19 disruption.  

About two thirds (68 per cent) say teaching assistants should get paid holidays like teachers, and three quarters argue that support staff should be more valued by society.   

GMB is demanding a substantial pay rise for teaching assistants to make up for a decade of real- terms pay cuts under the Tories.

National secretary Rehana Azam said they are the “glue that keeps children’s education together.

“While many teachers have been working from home, GMB members remain in schools, supervising classes, preparing food and maintaining buildings.

“These results show that [they] are rightly valued by the public — now it’s time for the government and employers to catch up.”