[Parliament] - Carrie Tan brings up issue of social workers being degree holders having a SES gap with the lower SES families they work with

[UltimaOnline]

 

[UltimaOnline]

Christine Lala
Going by your logic, it is very worrying that the parliament is made up of university graduates from better resourced and education families, and that they do not have the socio-economic background and exposure to have the natural empathy for Singaporean.
Does this means that there is a bias-ness already when these scholars of a better school and of higher SES look into the laws and policies for Singaporean?
I hope that the govt can look into this, so that there can be people who are more in touch with the real Singaporean struggle, and better serves the needs of the less than average, and average Singaporean.
Social workers don’t just serve the lower-income families. Anyone can go into FSC (Family service center) to seek family, parenting, marriage, counseling support.

 

[UltimaOnline]

Jonathan Hou

Using this logic, any government official who has acquired a bachelors “do not have the socio-economic background and exposure to have natural empathy for the low income families they work with”.
This poorly worded logic takes away from purpose of the post. Which is the need to help upgrade and supplement the number of social workers with individuals with significant amount of work experience.
If the implementations “short professional development courses” do become successful please ensure that these individuals contributing to the social service sector be remunerated to a similar level as a degree holder.

 

[UltimaOnline]

罗荣顺
"Only those who have degrees are allowed to become social workers. My worry is that this might create a situation where social workers, being university graduates from better resourced and better educated families"
Dear Ms Tan, this is a stereotype and it is concerning that you have regarded education background with socio-economical background (so does that mean diploma holders have lower socio-economical status?). I really hope I have misinterpreted your message.
Social work is a profession, just like architect, doctors or lawyers. Besides being trained in social science modules, the rigourous training through university education aims to equip the needed theories and academic foundation for social work graduates to support those who are in need.
Even upon graduation, social workers are required to undergo continuous education and training to improve and upskill their competencies.
You have been in social services work for years and I believe you would be aware that it takes more than just short professional courses to be trained as a social workers. At the same time, would you call for doctors, lawyers or even architects to be trained via short professional courses too?
As a social worker, I humbly request for you to rethink on this parliamentary question.

 

[UltimaOnline]

Lynette Lee
Ill-informed, stereo-typing statement. It shows how ignorant one is. Before you pen down your inappropriate and unfair thoughts, maybe you should conduct a dialogue session with the Social workers? Understand what they do, what type of challenges they face on a daily basis. This is the least you should do.

 

[UltimaOnline]

Clement Low
Hi Carrie, I totally disagree with you. While the state or governing body can qualify anyone to be social worker, doctor or therapist by a stroke of a pen, the real people who suffer are the patient and clients who are wrong sited, have their autonomy taken away from them, and failing to maximise their potential and quality of life. Social service is not just about the heart, it is also about the brains; it is both an art and science. While a degree might just be a piece of paper to some, it shows that this practitioner is capable of understanding and conceptualizing clinical theory, models and justifying care through evidence based practice. I'm in the ILTC sector, I've seen clients suffer, I've seen how a wrongly sited client caused disruption and affect all the other clients in the centre. In fact, I would urge you to improve the standard of the social service instead. Please do reconsider.

 

[UltimaOnline]

Chen Keyi
How do you define “natural empathy”? Social work is not just about being able to express empathy for our clients/patients, but we journey with them through their difficulties with the knowledge and training we have received. It is more than providing handouts or giving a listening ear. There are already courses available for diploma holders who are interested to be professional social workers. Similar to other faculties that requires a period of studies before one can be certified why does social work training need to be cut short? And how short is short??
Instead of increasing the amount of social workers to deal with social issues, why don’t MPs take a look at the policies that are affecting our people and pushing them into the lower strata of our economy & stressing everyone out. Looking at the root cause might be more effective than having more doctors just treating the symptoms. Good luck!

 

[UltimaOnline]

Sandra Lim
Must a dr be a patient suffering the same diagnosis before they can treat a patient?
Must a lawyer have gotten into trouble with the law b4 they can practice lawyer?

 

[UltimaOnline]

Nur'Ain Anuar
No true basis that one had to be "poor first" to empathise/better practiced social work as empathy is universal

 

[UltimaOnline]

Yao Weixiong Shem
It is like saying that those who aspire to be doctors and lawyers should have the ability to do so without a degree. Let's come up with short term certification course so that they can be doctors and lawyers.

 

[UltimaOnline]

Esther Marikea Ho-Tan
Respectfully, I wish to seek your understanding on what is a “Social Worker”.
We’ve heard the term used very loosely by volunteers in the social service sector; misunderstood by people who think social workers are volunteers; misused by people who thinks social workers = social escorts.

 

[JohnTan]

Most people running charity organizations are from high SES status. So it's perfectly normal that social workers should be much higher educated and much more well off than the poor people they are supposed to be helping. Can you imagine a social worker requiring government help out or needing to moonlight as a hooker or food delivery while working full time as social worker?

 

[sweetiepie]

Social service is not just about the heart, it is also about the brains; it is both an art and science.

My uncle tell clement what has the brains to do with degree when nus grads can give bank account lumber to strangers?

 

[sweetiepie]

My uncle tell clement what has the brains to do with degree when nus grads can give bank account lumber to strangers?

Also my uncle ask clement can a grads who earn 6k can have more than 1mil before they turn 55 ? KNN

 

[sweetiepie]

At present, only those who have degrees are allowed to become social workers. My worry is that this might create a situation where social workers, being university graduates from better resourced and better educated families, do not have the socio-economic background and exposure to have natural empathy for the low income families they work with.

My uncle asked carrie are you a stupid tam chia ter nao sinkie ? KNN seng mok tee can anot don't sor har sor har kum KNN

 

[sweetiepie]

Most people running charity organizations are from high SES status. So it's perfectly normal that social workers should be much higher educated and much more well off than the poor people they are supposed to be helping. Can you imagine a social worker requiring government help out or needing to moonlight as a hooker or food delivery while working full time as social worker?

KNN you think social worker get high celery is it ? KNN

 

[nayr69sg]

KNN you think social worker get high celery is it ? KNN

Lol!

Wah you and I similar wavelenght.

When I first saw the title I thought it was more along the lines of "social worker salary so low that their ses status is almosr the same as the people rhey are trying to help".

Social worker pay is really very low.

If anything the current pay structure with social workers ensures that they will have natural empathy with their clients eventually.

 

[JohnTan]

KNN you think social worker get high celery is it ? KNN

Why not? People who run charities tend to be rich or have spouses who are very very rich. My wife and her network of taitais likes to raise funds for charity during their free time.

 

[mojito]

Years back a friend said his kid did further in social work I was flummoxed. Distribute bread and chicken rice also need masters degree ah?

May be is those forms u need to fill up to get grants so complicate u need the brainiacs to do mental gymnastics in order to see some money given out huh.

 

[rodent2005]

All graduates come from rich families? How's that for social empathy? Ironic.