This study, largely based on literature review supplemented with information from lectures and interviews, attempts to give guidelines and make recommendations on how the gap between the school and the working world can be narrowed in South Africa to improve the employability of school-leavers. Chapter One involves the identification of the problem to be investigated. Chapter Two defines the economic role and function of the school in society in the light of different theories and practices. The present state of education in South Africa, with specific focus on how it relates to the working world, is examined in Chapter Three. Chapter Four examines the relationship between schooling and the working world in selected countries. Chapter Five proposes some guidelines and recommendations for the closer integration of the school with the world of work in South Africa. Chapter Six deals with final conclusions, new perspectives and guidelines for future research. / Educational Studies / M. Ed.

The purpose of the study was to find out about provision of guidance and counselling in the schools in the Transkei sub-region of the Eastern Cape. Guidance and counselling services are crucial to the success of lifelong learning policies, providing assistance and advice to learners so that they make better informed and future educational and career choices suitable for them. Through guidance and counseling services, students develop a clear understanding of self, their attitudes, abilities, interests, ambitions, resources and limitations from career counselling. They are also guided into various entrepreneurial activities, training, advancement and other benefits for sustainable self-reliance and self-worth. Students are able to achieve and live fulfilled lives and contribute meaningfully to the development of their country in all spheres of life once they receive appropriate guidance and counselling services. Guidance and counseling services look at the holistic development of the learner by taking into account the psycho-social, intellectual, emotional and physical development aspects of the learner within the context of the learner’s environment. The provision of guidance and counselling programmes and services is the shared responsibility of all school staff. A team approach should be employed, wherein all staff members have specified roles to play. School counsellors play a key role in planning and implementing programmes and service. Guidance and counselling programmes and services are systematically planned to meet the needs of all learners and are infused into the daily activities of schools. Using a quantitative research design, the research sample included Department of Education (DoE) Officials and teachers in seven districts in the Transkei sub-region of the Eastern Cape. Questionnaires were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics in were used to analyse the provision of guidance and counselling in the schools in the Transkei sub-region of the Eastern Cape. The results revealed that guidance and counselling is necessary in schools and that it should be provided in all schools in the districts. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

The theoretical part of this work is based on current findings on social work and school social work. The aim is to discuss a possibility to establish school social work in Czech environment and also to highlight any possible obstacles. The first goal in practical part of this thesis aims to identify issues that schools are facing today and whether school social work could help to solve them. The second goal is to examine how members of pedagogical staff perceive the possibility of school social worker. The last goal is to identify the agenda of school social worker in Czech primary and secondary schools. The research was done in the form of semi structured in-depth interview and therefore provides profound insight and complex answers to questions related to school social work. Key words: School social work, social work, education, competencies, primary and secondary school, teacher, headmaster, school counsellor, legislation, funding

Poor post-school outcomes for young adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have underscored the need to gain insight into the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in the planning and implementation of transition services. EBPs for effective transition planning and implementation have been documented in the literature but do not appear to be fully utilized in practice to achieve desired student outcomes, reflecting a research-to-practice gap. EBPs have the potential to produce positive outcomes at the high school level, if implemented with fidelity. Special education personnel, especially administrators, play a vital and unique role in transition planning. They can either facilitate or hinder the process. This phenomenological study investigated the perceptions of public school administrators regarding the extent of their awareness of EBPs to ensure the successful transition of students with ASD and associated barriers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 secondary-level public school administrators. Major themes identified through analyzing the qualitative data included (a) a positive vision for students with ASD, (b) characteristics of a good transition program, (c) administrators' roles in the transition process, (d) barriers to EBP implementation, (e) strategies to reduce barriers, and (f) ownership of what administrators can do to remedy the problem. Lastly, the study generated recommendations to assist school districts with improving transition services for students with ASD.

The study is an investigation into the pathways of out-of-school youth and their re-entrance into the Education Training and Development (ETD) system or the labour market. In the study the pathways of youth who dropped out of school between grades 1 and 11 are traced as they seek re-entrance to the ETD system, or entrance into the labour market. Particular attention was given to the factors that determine the choices that dropouts make either in re-entering the ETD system or entering the labour market. An analysis of the experiences of the interviewed sample of dropouts is presented. The study employs a qualitative research methodology using interviews to elicit the experiences of dropouts and school managers. The participants (young people and three school principals) were selected through snowballing from a township south of Durban. Individual and focus group interviews were held. The findings provide evidence of the value of investing in education, as suggested by the youth. This is in line with the human capital theory framework that suggests that there are major benefits to investing in education. The study is concluded by suggesting the need for second chance education in South Africa. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

Abtract Title: The role of social worker at an elementary school Name of student: Bc.Helena Valentova Department of study: Social Policy and Social Work Thesis supervisor: Doc. PhDr. Oldřich Matoušek, CSc. Opponent work: Martin Malotová The thesis is focused on the role of social worker at an elementary school. It is a comprehensive characterization of the profession including history, descriptions school of social work in several national systems of education (for example USA, England, Finland, etc.), analysis of target groups and content of school social work, which is supplemented by examples from practice. The empirical part of the work aims to determine whether the elementary schools in Praque are interested in introduction of position of school social worker and reasons of introduction. Other aims are to map the situation in solving educational problems at Prague's elementary schools, the views of the respondents to content of the activity school social worker and his authorization and also to map out how many of Prague's elementary schools have already established. The respondents were directors of the elementary schools, educational consultants and experts in prevention. Questionnaire was selected as a method of data collection because of extensive number of respondents was selected questionnaire....

The diploma thesis deals with the possibilities of implementation of school social work to the elementary schools in the Czech Republic. In the introduction, the thesis focuses on general inside of issues of school social work and the role of school social worker is characterized here. It also focuses on possible problems with implementation of school social work. In the next part, the diploma thesis deals with the practice of school social work in foreign countries and also with the current state of school counseling in the Czech Republic. Diploma thesis also focuses on legislative system and it suggests the possible future form of school social work in the Czech Republic. The conclusion outlines the proposal of specialized education program for school social workers in the Czech Republic.

No description available.

No description available.

School counsellors have been an occupation in Sweden since the 1940s but despite this, there is very little knowledge and research about school counsellors’ preconditions according to their work. This study aims to examine in what frequencies school counsellors’ use evidence-based methods in their work with students in senior high school. The result is based on a survey with N 215 respondents from all over Sweden and the analysis theoretical perspective is founded on evidence-based practice (EBP) and new institutional theory. The result indicates that school counsellors in Sweden do not use evidence-based methods to such an extent and that there are organisational and structural obstacles for school counsellors to base their work from evidence-based practice. There is a decoupling process where ideals of EBP do not match the reality as different kinds of logic appear and come into conflict with each other over whose legitimacy is the one that should dominate the organizational field. To increase the conditions, a school management that provides support and enables professional guidance and competence development is needed. The research field needs to start looking at the school counsellors’ practice from a bottom-up perspective to see what they do that works and develop EBP and the organizational field based on this. This is one way to give school counsellors’ more legitimacy.