Abstract
M.A.
This study was conducted within five high schools in the Thohoyandou district in the northern province. The study involved 20 teachers, 32 grade 10’s, 35 grade 11’s and 37 grade12’s.
The aim of this study was to conduct a need assessment of high school pupils in the Thohoyandou district schools regarding their needs for school social work services in the school environment. The believes of pupils and teachers on the needs for school social work were explored. Questionnaires were used as a method for data collection. The exploratory-descriptive design was used.
The findings of the study showed that both teachers and pupils agree that there is a significant occurrence of personal problems experienced by pupils, although teachers believe that some problems are not significant. Further there is a consensus from both teachers and pupils that most pupil’s problems are rooted in their families. They believe that there is a need for school social work in the schools, which will attend to pupil’s problems in relation to teachers, the home and the community.
Recommendations were made, generally to introduce school social work in the high schools of the northern province with the aim of making maximum use of the learning process.
Dr.W. Roestenburg