RESEARCHER CALLS FOR URGENT INTEGRATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN EC SCHOOLS

Secondary school learners in the Eastern Cape are in desperate need of social work services, according to research by Asanda Boboyi, a lecturer in WSU’s Department of Social Work.

Boboyi’s study, A Call for the Institutionalisation of School Social Work Services, delved into the factors that threaten the wellbeing and academic success of learners, such as substance abuse, and the increasing prevalence of violence in schools.

The study subsequently pointed to a growing need for the formal and structured integration of social workers within the education system.

Boboyi asserted that the absence of social work services in schools meant that fewer pupils got referred to the appropriate services, leaving vulnerable learners without the support they need.

“School social workers should not merely be occasional external consultants but must be permanently embedded in schools as part of a multidisciplinary team addressing learners' social, emotional, and psychological needs. This is crucial for South African schools because many learners face severe psychosocial challenges, including poverty, substance abuse, bullying, and mental health issues,” said Boboyi.

In October 2024, a sixteen year-old learner was fatally shot at a Humansdorp high school, a single example of the extent to which school violence has escalated.

Videos of learners involved in physical altercations with teachers or other learners have also become increasingly widespread on social media platforms such as Facebook and Tik Tok.

Boboyi and Master of Social Work student, Sazi Lungu dug deeper into the causes of these violent outbursts through a collaborative paper titled: Teacher’s Perspectives on the Factors Contributing to School Violence among High School Students in Mthatha: A Call for School Social Workers.

Teachers reported that a lack of parental involvement, domestic violence, and poverty collectively exacerbated ill discipline and aggression amongst pupils.

Boboyi said that although disciplinary measures such as corporal punishment and detention existed in some schools, they failed to tackle the underlying emotional and psychological struggles that cause violent behaviour.

“Many students who act out are not simply troublemakers; they are dealing with unresolved trauma, stress, and neglect. A more effective approach would be trauma-informed discipline, where teachers and school staff seek to understand the root causes of misbehaviour. Instead of just punishing students, interventions should include counselling, mentorship, and conflict resolution training, which falls under the scope of social workers” said Boboyi.

He suggested that despite financial and other constraints which hinder the hiring of school-based social workers, there were several approaches that schools, and the government could take.

“Despite funding constraints, the Department of Education must at least take more interns and place them in schools in collaboration with the Department of Social Development. Supervision of the interns can be provided by school social workers based in the district or circuit offices. Then, we can talk about their effectiveness through research,” he remarked.

Elsewhere, there have been success stories such as the Gauteng Department of Education’s provincial School Social Work Programme launched in collaboration with the province’s Department of Social Development.

“Collaboration is key. A great example of collaboration is a multi-disciplinary team approach, where schools, social workers, and community leaders meet regularly to discuss challenges and implement strategies to prevent negative outcomes before they appear,” said Boboyi.

(PICTURED: WSU Social Social Work Lecturer and Researcher, Asanda Boboyi.)

By Yanga Ziwele