City advocacy group pushes for municipal control over school-based social work services.
Wuppertal's School Social Work Conundrum:
The troubles in Wuppertal, Germany, have snowballed - in part due to the abandonment of free transport services. Now, the city needs to protect the invaluable infrastructure constructed by school social workers in conjunction with school communities. It's a colossal mess if everyone just tosses the blame on the state, enabling school social work to be endangered, with dire repercussions for our schools, especially those situated in high-conflict zones.
Although NRW state gets a fair bit of flak for its tardy adoption of funding guidelines and freezing funds, Wuppertal is duty-bound to do its part and guarantee school social work: This is as per The Children and Youth Welfare Act (SGB VIII, § 13a). Unlike most NRW municipalities, Wuppertal delegated the state program to various non-profit organizations, often relying on yearly contract renewals. The GEW hadn't been too pleased about this arrangement in the past.
According to statements from the Education Ministry of NRW, most municipalities have utilized the state program to reinforce their own school social work staff permanently. The GEW urges Wuppertal to reconsider this strategy. They demand, at the very least, the immediate assumption of forces not rehired by the non-profit organizations and preservation of the current state for all schools affected. Furthermore, the city should strive to ensure long-term, stable school social work management under municipal control with secure and permanent structures.
With a proposed €260,000 boost in funding to sustain all ongoing positions in municipal school social work by June 2025, Wuppertal showcases its proactive stance on ensuring school social work receives the necessary support. The boost in funding underscores the city's dedication to maintaining and boosting these vital services in its educational institutions - a commitment essential for the well-being and academic success of students in the region.
- The General News highlights the urgency for Wuppertal to continually prioritize education-and-self-development areas such as school social work, considering their significance in creating a stable environment for students, especially in high-conflict zones.
- Despite the Exceptional funding proposal for school social work, Politics play a crucial role in ensuring the longevity of these services - the Education Ministry of NRW, in line with the Children and Youth Welfare Act (SGB VIII, § 13a), advocates for Wuppertal to establish permanent, secured structures for school social work management, rather than its current reliance on non-profit organizations and yearly contract renewals.
