Teaching and classroom assistants were crucial to the smooth running of schools before the pandemic. BUT Teaching assistants have emerged as the “unsung heroes” of the pandemic with more than half stepping up to take classes in schools during lockdown while teachers delivered remote learning to children at home,  schools have relied upon them even more so this past year. This has piled the pressure on, and increased the workload of poorly paid lower grade employees, who are frequently asked to cover work they’re not trained to do.Teaching and classroom assistants have a vital role in helping pupils catch up on their lost learning post-pandemic. But to do this they need proper training and a decent wage.