Reconsidering social work education in Namibia: past, present, and future

ABSTRACT

This article considers the past, present, and future of social work education in Namibia in three parts. The first provides the historical context of colonization, liberation struggle, and post-independence social welfare. The second discusses social work education pre- and post-independence, focusing on the University of Namibia’s (UNAM) programme and the challenges of developing an indigenized curriculum. The third on curriculum review focuses on an indigenized curriculum that fits a developmental social work approach and indigenous helping processes in local contexts. The authors propose a conceptual framework for curriculum review that draws on the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development and Namibia’s fifth National Development Plan (NDP5), which are compatible with the integration of indigenous and Western social work approaches and developmental welfare goals, respectively.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work education
• indigenization
• curriculum review
• developmental social work
• Namibia

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to sincerely thank the editor and reviewers for their tireless efforts in working with us to improve our manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Janetta Ananias

Janetta Ananias is an Associate Professor at the University of Namibia School of Allied Health Sciences in the Department of Psychology and Social Work

Nicole Bromfield

Nicole Bromfield is an Associate Professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Socal Work and a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Namibia School of Allied Health Sciences in the Department of Psychology and Social Work

Ndumba Jonah Kamwanyah

Ndumba Jonah Kamwanyah is a Lecturer at the University of Namibia School of Allied Health Sciences in the Department of Psychology and Social Work

Emmerentia Leonard

Emmerentia Leonard is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Namibia School of Allied Health Sciences in the Department of Psychology and Social Work