Uckermark: District Administrator plans legal dispute over school social work!

Uckermark: District Administrator plans legal dispute over school social work!

Uckermark, Deutschland - The debate about financing school social work in Brandenburg causes a stir. The focus is currently on the Uckermark district because the district administrator Karina Dörk (CDU) is aiming for accession to a constitutional complaint. The background is the transfer of school social work to the counties, which according to the law should apply to all municipalities in Brandenburg. This has been anchored by the Brandenburg Children's and Youth Act since August 1, 2024. However, there is no necessary financial compensation by the country, which should actually be granted with the principle of connexuality. [Nordkurier] reports that the district of Dahme-Spreewald is already legally concerned with the regulations on school social work.

With regard to the upcoming district meeting on June 25, the meeting of which will be public, the interest is great. Here Dörk would like to obtain the approval of the Uckermärkische district council member, while District Administrator Sven Herzberger from Dahme-Spreewald offers other counties and independent cities to join his class action. A common procedure could strengthen the position of the counties and create better financial framework for school social work.

The role of school social work

school social work plays a central role in the Brandenburg education system. The offers are aimed at all students and serve individual and social development by reducing social and educational disadvantages. The focus is on promoting personal development and crisis intervention. Even if social work acts independently of the schools, it needs systematic cooperation between school and youth welfare. The legal foundations of this work can be found in SGB VIII and in the Brandenburg School Act, which defines clear specifications for cooperation. According to [MBJS specialist portal], school social workers are also active at high schools and all -day schools.

Demographic development in Brandenburg also means that there are fewer and fewer young people of the same age. This challenge is additionally reinforced by long school routes. The social work at schools takes an important bridge function here and ensures that the needs of children and young people are taken seriously. Cooperation with external school partners are not only required, but also essential to take into account the leisure interests and social pedagogical needs.

The future of school social work

A look back shows that the topics related to school social work in Brandenburg are not new. A nationwide conference took place in 2013, the aim of which was to promote better networking and regular exchange. These efforts led to the establishment of an initiative group with the aim of establishing a regional working group (LAG), which now has 32 members. This group is committed to quality assurance and further development of school social work and supports the local skilled workers. Further information and news about the development of the LAG can be found on [School social work Brandenburg].

It remains to be seen how the various counties react to the existing challenges and whether an agreement can be achieved with regard to school social work. In particular, the upcoming district meeting and the possibility of a merger as a constitutional complaint could be important signs for the next steps.