Dear Sir, I would like to take this opportunity of replying to the article regarding “Teaching Assistants Compensation” in last weeks edition. I have been a Learning Support Assistant for 26 years with DCC. Through a very caring and dedicated approach I believe I have made a valued improvement in some very disturbed children`s lives both in their progress academically and socially. I take great pride in my work and get high levels of job satisfaction from all I do despite, at times being kicked, punched, head butted and spat on. For such levels of dedication and working conditions DCC propose to reduce my salary by over 20%. Having already had a Special Schools Allowance taken from us here we are faced with a big reduction because our working time does not match other workers within our designated grade. Despite this, we cannot work flexi time or take holidays out of school time, because it would not benefit the schools we work in. So on the one hand we have to be graded with certain other job roles but we cannot access their working practices. As we work in schools we cannot work when the children are not attending, similar to teachers, but they remain “untouchable” yet working in the same environment. The supposed increased compensation is actually our salaries which we will receive over a two year period. What it does not mention is the loss of pension as a consequence of a salary reduction. While the LA comment  “ it is with heavy  heart that we agreed  in May to the dismissal…” they seriously need to look at what our role exactly looks like. We signed an initial contract in good faith, which did include school holidays, which is how schools work, but now this has changed dramatically. We challenged Councillors to work shadow staff at our school surprisingly, they refused. It may have been too much for them to see exactly how long we work after the children have gone home, meetings we attend and how stressful a day can be. Perhaps those within the same Grade do not experience such emotional challenges in their duties while we face aggression and abuse, sadly on a daily basis. D.E. Motivated Name & address supplied