TEACHERS on Teesside are among those being offered helping hands in a £1m project.

Under and post graduate students will be offered placements as teacher associates in ten Education Action zones identified by the Government, including east Middlesbrough.

The scheme, announced yesterday by the Schools Standards Minister Estelle Morris, is designed to benefit both teachers and students by allowing a lower pupil/staff ratio.

Ms Morris said: "Teacher associates and teaching assistants play an increasingly important role in helping teachers to raise standards. Student teachers will help links between schools and universities. The students will bring with them the latest developments in their subject areas and support teachers by giving pupils more adult support."

Ms Morris said the scheme would also advertise the teaching profession to students.

"They will get a unique taste of teaching when they swap the lecture theatre for the classroom - and this will, I hope, encourage some to consider teaching as a career," she said.

Ms Morris added: "I believe best practice in teaching is already evolving, partly in response to the increasing contribution of good support staff."

She said the Government was supporting the recruitment of an extra 20,000 teaching assistants by March 2002.