PRINCIPALS’ PERSPECTIVES ON SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK IN THE HERZEGOVINA-NERETVA AND WEST HERZEGOVINA CANTONS OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Abstract

School social work has been recognised as an important and integral part of many educational systems worldwide; however, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, school social workers remain a rarity.

This qualitative study aimed to gain insight into the perspectives of primary and secondary school principals on school social work. A semi-structured interview was conducted with ten participants, who were principals of primary and secondary schools in the Herzegovina-Neretva and West Herzegovina Cantons of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A purposive sample was selected using the snowball sampling method, and the data were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis. The findings show that principals view the role of school social workers in three main areas: working with students, working with students’ families, and collaboration with school staff. In their previous experience, participants had collaborated with social workers from the Centres for Social Work, primarily in response to students’ social, material, and emotional problems. They identified characteristics of both effective and ineffective cooperation. When it comes to the possibility of employing social workers in schools, principals expressed awareness of the need but also pointed out several obstacles hindering this process, particularly emphasising the importance of public advocacy for the integration of social workers into the education system.

In conclusion, the research provided important insights into principals’ perspectives, opening space for further research and offering arguments in support of employing social workers in schools.