Exploring the views of educators in a secondary school in Milpark on family challenges affecting learners' academic performance.

A report on a study project presented to The Department of Social Work School of Human and Community Development Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Bachelor of Social WorkSchool social work is a field that needs to be implemented effectively in schools to deal with the adversities faced by learners. The role of the social worker within the school setting is crucial as it is representative of the learners’ voice. Based on the qualitative research conducted as a case study with eight grade nine educators at John Orr Technical High School, the main aim of the study was to explore the effect of family challenges on learner’s academic performance in secondary schools. From the thematic analysis, the most important problems that arised from the discussions included no support for learners experiencing family challenges, no involvement from parents regarding school work and poverty leading to poor academic performance. The main conclusion drawn from the study was the reality that learners face family challenges which affect their academic performance, but there is no intervention put in place that has successfully addressed these adversities. Key words: Academic Performance, Educators, Family challenges, School social work.GR201