“School social work in child and youth welfare plays a fundamental role in promoting equal opportunities, participation, and educational pathways for young people,” explains Prof. Dr. Gunther Graßhoff, professor of social pedagogy at the University of Hildesheim and co-organizer of the event. “Especially against the backdrop of growing societal challenges and increasing demands in everyday school life, a comprehensive expansion of school social work with reliable funding and cooperation structures from the federal, state, and local governments is necessary.”

The Hildesheim Declaration

The participants summarized the outcomes of the congress and the resulting demands in a joint declaration. “The Hildesheim Declaration emphasizes the need to structurally embed school social work,” says Daniel Rohde, research associate at the Institute for Social and Organizational Pedagogy at the University of Hildesheim and co-organizer of the event. “This could be achieved through implementing legislation at the state level and the inclusion of school social work in school laws.” Furthermore, the declaration specifies a staffing ratio of one full-time social work position per 150 young people, “of which at least one permanent full-time position per school should be a basic standard,” as Rohde adds. In addition, the signatories of the Hildesheim Declaration advocate for nationally coordinated quality standards, working conditions secured by collective bargaining agreements and commensurate with qualifications, as well as sufficient resources for planning, quality assurance, and professional support. “School social work is understood here as an expert in networking and social space orientation, contributing to the structural opening of schools into the social space and sustainably strengthening interprofessional collaboration,” explains Graßhoff. The goal is to ensure the continuity, reliability, and quality of services in the long term and thereby make an effective contribution to greater equality of opportunity and educational equity.

What is the Federal Congress on School Social Work?

The Federal Congress serves as a nationwide forum for professional exchange, interdisciplinary networking, and strategic positioning. The congress focused on four central themes: poverty and social justice, education for sustainable development, digitalization and digitality, and professionalism in school social work. Through lectures, forums, workshops, and practical dialogues, scientific findings were linked with practical experience to develop concrete approaches for different types of schools and regional conditions. 

The congress was organized as a collaboration between the Cooperation Network for School Social Work, the LAG Schulsozialarbeit Niedersachsen e.V., the University of Hildesheim, HAWK Hildesheim, and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hannover, and took place on the campus of the University of Hildesheim. The opening lecture was delivered by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schröer, Professor of Social Pedagogy at the University of Hildesheim, on the topic "How does school enable childhood and youth?" 

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