Social work at school: View into the past, view into the future

• Main Author: Poštrak Milko
• Format: Article
• Language: srp
• Published: Institute for Educational Research, Belgrade 2008-01-01
• Series: Zbornik: Institut za Pedagoška Istraživanja
• Subjects: social work models; socialization; primary school; upbringing and education; instrumental definition of the problem
• Online Access: http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0579-6431/2008/0579-64310801172P.pdf
• ISSN: 0579-6431; 1820-9270

The practice of social work at school existed in the Republic of Slovenia in the past (the period of the SFRY). This paper presents the findings arising from that period, the reasons for abandoning that practice (the problems of management and the achieved educational level of the social workers at that time), as well as the theoretical assumptions forming the basis for reconsidering the possibility of its reintroduction both to primary and secondary schools. This paper presents the different theoretical models and paradigms they rely on (traditional or conservative, reformist, radical, system-ecological and social-constructivist), with special reference to the social-constructivist model of social work, which is also author's own orientation. The suggested models and theoretical assumptions that social work rests on are associated with the domains of work common to social work and school, and those are: on micro-level, the realm of socialization (socialization process) and educational work related to pupils (common both to school work and social work), on the level of school - work on establishing the psycho-social climate, especially within peer groups, youth subcultures, the relation towards authority, the presence of violence and offender's behavior at school. Also, significant common ground in the paper stems from the concept of decentralization, on the one hand, and the fact that school is an institution that develops numerous functions through meaningful connections with the context of the local community and the society.