Do not blame! Know yourself!

Be a School Social
Worker!
Purpose of Learning about
Ecological Perspective:
1. One of the objectives of the course
Students will be able to
which says, in this course, students
understand the effect will know some theories to work in a
school setting will be achieved
of environment on the 2. They would not blame any person
person and the effect of for the mistake he/she made. They
person on the rather consider the environmental
factors on their personal life
environment so that: 3. They can analyze their behavior
(life) taking into consideration the
environment they have been through
 Problem is not located within the person.

Ecological Perspective:
Dualism
Ecological Perspective is Just for a minute, think
used in School Social Work about the physical and
Practice because of its dual
social environment you
focus to the environment
and the person. have passed through
It believes that the and its positive and
environment is inseparable negative contributions
part of the person. The in your development.
same to the person/child.
At School
If the student fails to act
according to the
expectations, as per
Ecological Perspective, it is
not only because of the
problem located within the
him/her. It is rather as a
result of the formidable
challenges the student is
facing outside and inwardly.
Assume this:
What if your mother is
highly sick and getting
chemotherapy treatment
in Black Lion Hospital,
and if you are the only
person to look after her?
Or
What if you are the victim
of Attention Deficit or
Hyper Activity Disorder?
 Lack of Goodness of Fit:

If he/she ( the student) “ካልቻልኩ

fails, then, it is because ስላላስቻልከኝ
of the lack of ነው፡፡”
Goodness of Fit “IF I AM NOT
between him and ABLE, THEN,
THIS IS
the environment.
BECAUSE
YOU DO NOT
MAKE ME
ABLE.”
 Interventions
As a School Social Worker:
You have to be Dually
Focused (on the child and
the person).
You also have to address
the Environmental
Stressors and Enhance the
Coping Skills of the Child .
Meaning, your intervention
should be Student Focused
and System Focused
Goal of Student
Focused
Interventions:
Enhance the Social
Competence of at Risk
Student through
teaching specific skills
and environmental
support
Goal of System Focused Intervention: Making
the school, family and neighborhood and community
more responsive to the needs of the students during
their development and minimize the impacts of risk
factors.
 Do not Focus on the Darkness. Just
switch the Light.
Ecology, Strength Based
Perspective and
Empowerment Approach
If you a real school These approaches help
social worker, identify Social Workers to
and build on the design preventive and
strength than deficit. proactive intervention
This makes the social methods.
worker innovative.
You have to
obey to the
standard of
School Social
Work Practice

Standard of School Social Work

Practice
 At the end of this session:
1. You will be able to understand
that Ethiopia does not have any
Purpose of standard for school social work
Learning
practice so that you will envision to
about school
Social Work create one as part of your effort to
Standard put a strong foundation for school
social work practice in Ethiopia
2. Until then, you will understand
the school social work standard the
international community is using
right now.
 School Social Unfortunately, Ethiopia does not
Work have any code for generalist
Standard Social Work Practice, let alone
Policies are pivotal
to school social
School Social Work Practice.
work practice. They  This must be changed. (Maybe
generally guide the
process. The school you are the one to change this and
social worker
without strong to be called the dad or mom of
policies to support
his/her doing is like
school social work practice in
a bird without a Ethiopia. Do not forget that Social
wing.
work is Practice Based Profession.
You have to try to practice School
Social Work).
  1. Educational/School Reform :
Guiding The school physical and social
Principles of environment should be changed in a
School Social way the students will be effective and
Work Practice the school social workers get resources
2. Social Justice:
Everyone has to be given equal
This is as per the educational opportunity. The school
NASW School Social social worker should work together
Work Practice
Standard. with parents, students and the school
community to avoid factors preventing
every student from benefiting from the
system. Here, we have to see some
statistics of Ethiopia.
 Over half of the population is between 0 and 14
Educational years of age. Meaning, almost half of the
population is or must be in Primary Schools
Statistics of  In 2018/19 A. Y GER for pre primary was only

Ethiopia. 40%. (Addis Ababa has 97.6 Percent registration

rate and the lowest is Somali Region with 7%
Enrollment Rate.
NIR has fallen to 92.4% in 2018/19 A.Y.
The NIR for boys is more than girls by 8.3%
Some regions like Somali and far are in many
aspects below the average.
The dropout rate also increased to 25% from
19%. SNNPR has the highest dropout in Ethiopia.
Dropouts are high in grade 1 and 8.
These are just some statistics. I do not include
the adult education stat and so on. Read the
ESDP VI for further information.
 Do not you think that you have
to fight for the social justice of
the children once you read the
statistics?
How do Many Ethiopians are
you feel denied social justice of
about the getting an unhindered
access for education. Fight
Stat? that. And, know that you
are lucky to be here. Many
do not get this opportunity.
Do not take as granted.
 The Gender Disparity is quite
visible, everywhere. In preprimary,
primary, secondary and higher
education, males are dominant. The
Gender: question remain unanswered. Some
mentioned that this is because
females are abducted and exposed
for early marriage. But, surprisingly,
there is a study conducted by
professors in AAU and encouraged
early married. One of Your next
week reading assignments will
be this article.
 3. Multi-Tier Approach
There are three tiers.
A. Tier One: The entire public of
Have you ever
been in tier
the school
three looking B. Tier Two: Some groups
for the support
of someone to
needing close support and follow
survive? up
C. Tier Three: One to one and
intensive care for some students
who are in need of serious
support
 1. To define the Scope of School
Social Work Services

Goals of the
Standard
2. To enhance awareness of the
skills, knowledge, values,
methods and sensitivity of school
social workers need
 1. Ethics and Values
2. Qualifications
3. Assessment
4. Intervention
The Standards
5. Decision Making and Practice
Evaluation
6. Record Keeping
7. Workload Management
8. Professional Development
9. Cultural Competence
10. Interdisciplinary Leadership and
Management
11. Advocacy

 Commonly, MSW holders are expected to
work at Entry-Level Qualification.
However, in case BA holders work, the
supervisor should be MSW holder.
The The only name to school social worker is
Structure : “School Social Worker”. NO other named is
allowed to be used.
The ratio is 1:250. In cases the school
social worker handles students in need of
intensive care, the ratio is 1:50.
Salary is based on experience, educational
status and so on.
School Social Workers are expected to
adhere to NASW code of ethics and code
of conduct.
 Roles of
Governmental
Bodies
It will continue next week.
Thank You!