Retreat from within: Social work educations faltering commitment to community work

This article reports on research undertaken with the Australian schools of social work regarding their teaching of community work. It uses a similar Canadian study and other material to suggest why some schools are decreasing the content and status of community work in their courses. The renewed emphasis that some northern hemisphere governments are placing on community interventions is described as a basis for encouraging social work education to renew its commitment to community work. It is suggested that without community work knowledge and skills social workers are less capable of doing a range of tasks.