THE ROLE OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION – THE PERSPECTIVE OF PROFESSIONALS IN THE AREA OF OSIJEK-BARANJA COUNTY

Abstract

The school is a place that enables the early recognition and prevention of numerous developmental risks of the child and the undertaking of early social interventions that can empower not only the child, but also parents and families at risk, leading to more successful coping with personal, family and social challenges. Social workers are trained to recognise social risks and work with children and families living in poverty and at risk of social exclusion, violence, abuse and neglect. School social work is a specialised field within the profession of social work that is aimed at improving the educational and psychosocial environment in schools, with an emphasis on strengthening relationships between teachers, students and their parents. The purpose of school social work is to provide professional support and help students from families burdened with various economic, social, health, educational and numerous other risks. The paper answers the questions of what challenges professional associates working in elementary schools in Osijek County face in their direct work with children and parents, and what interventions they think should be made by social workers. The goal of the research is to gain a deeper understanding of the problems that children face in their families, personally and/or in the school environment, which professional associates perceive as beyond their responsibility and social workers could address more adequately and provide the necessary support. The methodology used in this research is qualitative. The data are collected through semi-structured interviews and processed using a thematic analysis, which includes the interpretation of the data and their critical review.