When highly trained teaching assistants support the progress of so many of our children, especially the most challenging, why don't we celebrate them more?

We have 240,000 teaching assistants who provide the backbone of every school, representing stability, hard work and what is really good about our education system.

Does the teaching profession celebrate what teaching assistants afford us? Many TAs don't think so. The government does not realise the breadth of skills these members of staff possess and the extra value they provide for little cost - and the fact that they create an enormously positive impact in all our educational establishments.

Teaching assistants support the progress of so many children especially with their basic skills. Through their ability to build relationships with the most difficult of children, they also facilitate pupil engagement and ensure that many more children access the curriculum. This, in turn, allows teachers to focus on other aspects of the curriculum, whether more creative or practical activities, or spend more time with pupils - actually teaching. Can you imagine what lesson time would be without them? Certainly, the end result is that teachers are more supported and less stressed.

TAs also enable more team-teaching situations. They promote a more inclusive approach, which is necessary to enable every child to feel valued and supported. They are also a wonderful asset when working with parents. That difficult pupil calms down when they come across the TA with whom they have a special bond.

TAs certainly deserve more money than they get at present. But more importantly, they need acknowledgement of the vital role they play in our schools. We know that too many government ministers still see them as some sort of mums army, backing display boards and photocopying. Such days have long gone (albeit these tasks are still undertaken.)

TAs Influence in school is enormous - instrumental in establishing independence in our children, developing learning skills and often being the lead person in delivering intervention strategies. All in all, we cannot do without them.

Please sign this petition so we can highlight this very serious situation to our government. By highlighting this plight, the TAs may finally be paid what they're really worth, instead of being told that they're lucky to keep thier job because so many schools see them as being an 'overhead '