Rewritten Article:
GEW Pushes for More Money to Boost School Social Work Support
The education union GEW is pressing for more financial aid from the state to bolster school social work services. Monika Stein, the state chairwoman of GEW, strongly advocated for a return to the agreed one-third funding during a meeting in Stuttgart on Wednesday. Current local authorities receive a fixed annual sum of 16,700 euros per role, but due to cost increases and wage hikes, this sum no longer equates to one-third financing.
"Based on the Association of Cities and Towns' calculations, one-third funding would amount to 22,000 euros per position," said Stein.
The state government has been contributing one-third of the costs for school social work since 2012. School authorities – commonly municipalities – are responsible for funding this service, as per the Ministry of Social Affairs.
According to Stein, school social work plays a significant role in counteracting educational inequalities and poverty, and it also helps relieve teachers' burdens. "School social workers provide close support to pupils in difficult life situations and crises, offering them substantial aid at a low threshold," she explained.
GEW emphasizes the need for a broader expansion of school social work services. While it's already present at almost all secondary schools, intermediate schools, comprehensive schools, and grammar schools, it's only available for around 55 percent of elementary schools. The union estimates that there were around 1900 school social worker positions in the south-west in 2022, with around 2800 employees covering these positions. In 2012, there were merely 829 positions.
School social work has been met with varying opinions. While Social Affairs Minister Manne Lucha (Greens) lauded it as a significant achievement in reducing educational disparities and supporting struggling students, the AfD is unsupportive. The AfD's education policy spokesperson, Rainer Balzer, argued that it is not feasible to solve educational problems through school social work and instead advocated for better early language support, more teachers, and less bureaucracy in schools.
Young social workers are often viewed as assistants for heavily burdened schools, which can sometimes lead to their involvement in school-related tasks such as compensating for missed lessons and implementing educational plans, according to Stein. However, this is not the main function of school social work.
Sources:
Insights:
- GEW's demand for more funding for school social work was not specifically addressed in the provided sources, but they do discuss the broader context of funding demands and social issues in Germany and Baden-Württemberg.
- The Stadtanzeiger für Pforzheim article discusses the need for increased funding for social services and the importance of maintaining social services.
- The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung article highlights the need for adequate funding for social services and education and supports a robust social safety net.
- The DAAD and Heinrich Böll Foundation are organizations that provide scholarships, but they do not directly address the funding for school social work positions.
By providing appropriate funding and resources, school social work can play a crucial role in supporting students and alleviating teachers' burdens. Despite facing criticisms, GEW continues to advocate for expanding this vital service to provide essential assistance to students facing challenging life situations.
