School support workers are raising an alarm over School District 73’s plans to use undertrained and underqualified replacements for education assistants in Kamloops schools. The union representing over 900 school support workers in SD73 says the plan is an attack on qualified school workers and a threat to the quality of supports available to over 16,000 students.

“Certified Education Assistants are well trained and experienced workers who are crucial to the learning needs of Kamloops students,” says Dawn Armstrong, a Kamloops school support worker and president of CUPE 3500. “CEAs need years of formal education, ongoing training, and to be able to demonstrate they understand the complex needs of students. They can’t be replaced by just anyone off the street.”

School District 73 is proposing to hire ‘Responsible Adults’ to cover for Certified Education Assistants during absences. These ‘Responsible Adults’ will only be required to take minimal training in first aid, and to complete a 20-hour online course.

“The district’s plan is just a band-aid to our communities very real and pressing shortage of qualified education assistants,” says Armstrong. “School District 73 needs to be addressing the low-earnings and poor working conditions – the real reasons why they can’t attract and keep Certified Education Assistants.”

CEAs require one to two years of post-secondary education, which costs thousands of dollars out of pocket. They provide direct support to students, in particular many with complex learning needs.

“Being a CEA is challenging work that people take years of training to undertake. Our students depend on this expertise – and they deserve it. But CEAs are being stretched too thin, assigned to more and more students. This is leading to burn out, illnesses, injuries and more absence,” says Armstrong. “Giving school workers the support they need to be effective, have manageable workloads, and making sure they can earn enough to make this a viable career – this is what will attract the Certified Education Assistants our school district needs.”