Is there a system in place for social workers in school?

Nov 18, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
Permit me to respond to the article in November 13th edition of the Kaieteur News entitled “Put trained social workers in schools”. While I sincerely laud the recommendations of the writer, I am left somewhat aghast as to what system is currently in place, and how contributory it may be or have been to the present social demise especially among our young.
As a retired member of the pedagogical profession both in Guyana and overseas, I daresay that the installation of social workers in the schools is only minimally a panacea to the problem. Veritable success requires a few more key actors in the play beginning from Act 1 Scene 1. One may quizzically ask, what is school? Mundane or germane as it may seem, for each individual has a different notion/ concept of school and its expectations etc. School is oftentimes conceptualized as a community of families and school personnel engaged in the educational process.
Society has, and Guyana is no exception, placed an onerous responsibility on both schools and families. Simply put, schooling is not a mere process of teaching and learning, but also of preparing children for the future.
These places of learning are seen not only as the vehicle for hopes and aspirations for children who conform to external expectations, but for every child regardless. Within the broad field of the social work profession, school social work is a specialized area of practice. The constellation of teacher, parent and child is the basic focus of the school social worker, as the family and school are the central places for the development of children, for therein lies the hope for the next generation.
Following this train of thought one can immediately arrive at the conclusion that improved teacher training; to meet the needs of a changing societal face is crucially imperative.
With the passage of years, most of the social traditions as well as the institutions that formerly shaped the upbringing of our young, have lost their influence or have completely disappeared. As a consequence schools and their teaching staff are now called upon to right (write) this loss. A Herculean task of sorts lies before the teaching profession! It does not require the skills of a mathematician or the brains of a savant to realize that the quality of any education system can be no better than the quality of teachers in the classrooms.
With this being said, permit me to echo the cry of one gone before who called for teacher training to be conducted in the University of Guyana, and Cyril Potter College of Education be thanked for its role thus far, but nevertheless relegated to an obsolete non-functioning system of the past. Most schools have within their Administration a Head Master/ Head Mistress and also at times a deputy.
These key personnel, the most important and influential figures in the school setting are also primary stakeholders, and should be held to a high standards
School principals must come to understand that no one professional person can be all things to all people. There must be an organized pattern of services in which each member of the school administrator’s staff has a clear knowledge of how everyone contributes to the goals of the larger system. So a social worker can be in the school system and still be somewhat ineffective, for her role and efficacy can only be realized when school leadership accepts the value of such service. Schools should be an organized system of services, in which each and every staff member has a clear understanding of their individual contribution.
The priorities and expectations of Social Workers differ greatly from those of teachers/ educators, by virtue of their very function. Social Workers function from an individual-in-environment perspective, where children are regarded in the context of their family, neighbourhood and community. Educators/ teachers on the other hand are primarily interested in students as individuals and students as learners. While the stage may be set, we are certainly not ready yet, for there is a high price to be paid if basic adequate preparations are not made. Identification of all the key players is essential from the start, and all the players must know and play their part. Respect, dignity and individual human worth must prevail, and if adhered to then we cannot fail.
Yvonne Sam

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