Teachers are to get a personal assistant in each class, under plans due to be announced by the government next week.

The assistants, who are being introduced in a bid to ease teachers' workload, will also be able to teach drama, music, sport and foreign languages.

Their participation will free up half a day a week for teachers to concentrate on marking and preparations.

David Miliband, the school standards minister, will announce details of the scheme next Tuesday.

The NUT has warned that boosting the role of assistants would amount to getting teachers "on the cheap".