Educational social workers are heading for burn-out

(MG/JB) Insufficient staffing, rapidly growing numbers of children and unequal pay are among the complaints made by educational social workers working with children in Luxembourg.

The situation is getting so bad, one worker revealed, that many staff are approaching burn-out.

The revelations emerged at a meeting organised by professional associations APEG and APEL for people working in the socio-educational sector.

For many workers in the sector, it is common to spend an entire morning alone with eight children aged from six to 18 years old. For children with severe behavioural problems, this can place a strain on employees and reduce the quality of care given to other children.

One employee complained at the meeting of being used to “plug gaps” in the educational system. They explained that they had been asked to do anything from helping with homework to representing a teacher, supervising the school canteen and providing private tuition.

“We have to worry about the quality of care children are receiving in such conditions,” said one of the educational social workers.

APEG chairman Marc Pletsch said that burn-out was inevitable in this sector but felt powerless because “decisions have been made which go over our heads.”

Mr Pletsch said that educational social workers were never consulted when the government drew up the current policy. He is now calling for an open-dialogue with sector workers to create a sustainable social policy.

The APEG spokesman drew attention to the particularly fraught situation in after school clubs or Maisons Relais, where some teams lack strong management.