Learning facilitators have been employed in international public schools for more than 50 years, and their roles and responsibilities have changed over time (Riggs & Mueller, 2001). Although the use of learning facilitators is a relatively new concept in South Africa, the roles they face are similar to that in the international arena. Research shows that learner facilitators remain responsible for many of the clerical and student supervision aspects of school,
however, their responsibilities also include assisting the professional educator known as the class or subject teacher, with instruction, working with parent groups, facilitating the inclusion of children with disabilities or cultural and language differences, and providing support for related services (Riggs & Mueller, 2001). A simplified job description would be a one-on-one paraprofessional aid that provides support and accommodations to the included student facing a barrier to learning; one such barrier may be ASD or may be other barriers to learning (Robertson et al., 2003).
Giangreco et al. (1997) surmises that the proliferation of learning facilitators has often outpaced conceptualisation of team roles and responsibilities, as well as training and supervision needs of in-class learning facilitators. This lack of role clarification can frequently cause possible frustrations or misunderstandings between educator and learning facilitator as each may hold a very different perception of their own roles and responsibilities. The role and responsibility of the learning facilitator are described by Robertson et al. (2003), as helping to provide assistance with the included student. Specifically to help keep the student focused on the task at hand, provide accommodations and modifications where necessary, to help increase the child’s understanding while minimising any social and/or academic frustration and challenges, reduce behavioural problems and help the learner work in small groups with other learners. All these responsibilities are assumed to provide support to the classroom educator.
In South African practice, one may notice learning facilitators playing increasingly prominent roles in the education of students with barriers to learning. “With pressure from parents, who want to ensure that their children are adequately supported, and general educators, who want to make sure they and their students are properly supported, the use of learning facilitators has become a primary mechanism to implement more inclusive school practices” (Giangreco et al., 1997:56). Due to the fact that, in many cases, the learning facilitator is funded by the parents, parents feel they are in charge and responsible for the learning facilitator and furthermore, the learning facilitator is purely responsible for the child being facilitated and should not work with other children in need within the classroom.
As increasing numbers of learning facilitators have taken on expanded and often unclear roles in assisting children with barriers to learning, many questions arise. Are the roles and duties they are requested to perform appropriate? Are learning facilitators adequately trained for their roles and responsibilities? Do they receive suitable supervision? Are they truly assisting
qualified personnel, or are they functioning as the primary instructors and decision makers for the learner in need of facilitation? (Giangreco et al., 1997).
In a study conducted in 1997, interference with ownership of, and responsibility by, general educators are cited as causes of unclear guidelines for roles and responsibilities of learning facilitators. Results indicated that most of the classroom teachers in the sample did not describe their roles as including responsibility for educating the learner with barriers to learning who were placed in their class. Furthermore, the presence of learning facilitators created a readily accessible opportunity for professional staff to avoid assuming responsibility and ownership for the education of such learners (Giangreco et al., 1997; Robertson et al., 2003). The study concluded that different expectations regarding the role of the classroom educator and the role of the learning facilitator were a point of conflict. This study raises the question of, ‘has the role of both the educator and the learning facilitator been clearly defined and differentiated since this study?’ The study also highlighted the fact that learning facilitators demonstrated unfettering autonomy in their role, including entering, leaving and altering educator-directed whole class activities whenever they chose, without consultation with the educator. This motivates the question of, ‘who is ultimately responsible for the education of the learner who is in need of a learner facilitator?’
Even though learning facilitators are there to assist and facilitate learners, research indicates that, at times, learning facilitators are placed in positions where they are to assume sole responsibility for the learner’s education and progress. Constantly having to make decisions and adapt the curriculum to suit the individual needs of the learner. With such massive responsibility resting on their shoulders, the question begs, ‘have learning facilitators received the opportunity for specific training?’ Giangreco et al. (1997:14) established that “making such on-the-spot decisions requires a depth of instructional knowledge and skill that many learning facilitators do not possess.” A brief look at occupational vacancies for learning facilitators reveals that the job descriptions often target a young person who may or may not be a student in the field of education. The job descriptions often do not go into detail on the necessary skills required and generally do not offer high remuneration.