A collaborative partnership between school social workers and educators: A vehicle to address the social contexts of learners and quality of education in south Africa

Abstract

Colonialism and apartheid created a legacy of injustice and inequality in terms of the social welfare and education systems in South Africa. The social context of South Africa's children is cemented with poverty, inequality and a variety of social problems of which malnutrition, substance use, violence and HIV and AIDS are the most prominent aspects affecting their development and limiting them to achieve their potential. As a result, a vast number of children in South Africa require one or other form of assistance and support. Since 1994, South Africa has a democratic government that conceptualised, developed and promulgated progressive legislation, policies and procedures especially in the areas of education, social welfare and healthcare. However, the translation and implementation of these policies remain challenging. Almost 25 years into democracy, collaborative partnerships emerged as the approach to use in an attempt to overcome the challenges with successful implementation of processes, programmes and/or interventions. A collaborative partnership is a useful, but also a complex strategy that requires a number of principles to be adhered to in ensuring it to be successful. The Departments of Education and Social Development both have progressive conceptual frameworks that can be implemented in improving the social context of learners and providing care and support for learners and educators in education. Many of the social problems is evident in learners behaviour in the school environment and schools are perfect sites for school social workers as collaborative partners of educators and other professionals within the school setting to create continuous and systemic interventions in addressing the challenges learners and educators are experiencing on different levels by incorporating different systems and resources. The regular incorporation of school social work in the education system, where considerable additional support is needed, will facilitate the implementation of both frameworks in a collaborative and integrated manner and contribute to the development of learners to become well-Adjusted and productive citizens in South Africa. The question remains, why is this not happening?