Developing Professional Status

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of how the position of em-ployees with a bachelor’s degree related to social work in Norwegian schools has developed from 1997-2024. The analyses are based on administrative data on education and labour market outcomes made available by Statistics Norway. The occupational codes used are interpreted as the outcome of jurisdictional negotiations across legal, public, and workplace arenas, in line with Abbott’s the-ory of professional development. While the number and proportion of social work professionals in schools have increased, recognition of their competence—as reflected in occupation, salary and employment percentage—varies. Mean-while, employment as assistants has remained consistent, highlighting school social work as a fragile jurisdiction. Their employment may also be legitimised as individual rights to special education, potentially explaining a stronger posi-tion for social educators.

Child welfare · child welfare workers · job roles · Jurisdiction · Norwegian schools · Professional development · professional status · School social work · social educators · social work profession · Special education · Education, sociology, and vocational training · Educational Practices and Policies · Social Work Education and Practice