Enlightening workshop for school social workers
As more schools are adapting social workers to help develop learners, Dr Marelize Vergottini and Sandri Appelgryn decided to host a training programme for school social workers.
Dr Marelize Vergottini along with social worker Sandri Appelgryn held a training programme at Laerskool Randfontein to empower school social workers.
On June 6, Dr Marelize from the North West University’s Faculty of Health Sciences, in collaboration with Sandri held a two-day workshop that focused on legal aspects as well as policies within the education system of which social workers must be aware.
They also looked at aspects such as registrations as well as typical learning barriers that learners may have. She added that social workers’ specific methods of assistance were also discussed and explained.
She stated that the training programme was aimed at empowering social workers who choose to follow their career at school. She claimed that the programme was not only for social workers from Randfontein as social workers from as far as East London in the Eastern Cape also attended.
“Social workers are increasingly being appointed in schools to support and offer assistance to learners. It is also a new field of specialisation and social workers within this field need the necessary knowledge to provide optimal services,” Marelize said.
Furthermore, she explained the role of social workers in schools. She stated that they provide services primarily to learners, but also to staff and parents. Psychological challenges are addressed and all learning barriers are also addressed.
“I feel that every school should have a social worker to support learners. We would like to develop the learner’s full potential and sometimes it is difficult if there are obstacles. People should join hands with the social worker in the school and not see the social worker as a threat,” she expressed.
Sandri claimed that the workshop was a massive success. She also stated that it is important because they try to improve learner’s study abilities. Sandri currently has a Masters Degree in forensic practice.
The Randfontein Herald also spoke to Hoërskool Jan Viljoen High School’s social worker, Christi Coetzee.
“School social workers are becoming more common in schools. It just has not reached all the schools yet. The idea of a school social worker is a good thing and this workshop is ultimately preparing social workers to work in a school environment,” Christi said.
