Journal of Social Development in Africa (1997), 12,1,67-82 
An Outcome Study of Graduates from 
the School of Social Work, Harare, 
Zimbabwe, 1988-1992 + 
RUTHKHRE 
CHRISTINE MARLOW 
EDWIN KASEKE * 
ABSTRACT 
Social work practice in Zimbabwe is in the midst of change, moving away from its 
colonial legacy of social work as an instrument of social control to a model that is 
increasingly developmental with a focus on social change (Kaseke, 1991). As a 
result of such changes, assessing the outcome of social work education and training 
in Zimbabwe becomes particularly critical at this time. The outcome study reported 
here is a follow-up of work completed by Brand (1983) of the employment and 
educational experiences of Diploma students between 1971 and 1981 at the School 
of Social Work in Harare. 
Objectives and Methodology of the Study 
The School of Social Work was established in 1964 and is an affiliate college of 
the University of Zimbabwe. Currently offered are a one-year Certificate in Social 
Work, a three-year Diploma in Social Work, a Bachelor of Social Work degree, a 
Bachelor of Social Work Honours degree and a Master of Social Work degree. 
Outcome or baseline studies are rapidly becoming an integral component in the 
continuing development of social work education programmes. This increasing 
emphasis on outcome assessment allows programmes to develop in such a manner 
that more fully meets the changing social needs of their surrounding communities 
and the demands of ever-diversifying client populations. Outcome studies should 
ideally be carried out every ten years or so, and given the changes occurring in 
Zimbabwe it appeared appropriate to undertake another study as soon as possible. 
This article was developed from a research study carried out through the School of Social 
Work, Harare in July 1995. 
R Kiire: formerly Lecturer at the School of Social Work, Harare, Zimbabwe; C Marlow: 
Professor, Department of Social Work, New Mexico State University; E Kaseke: 
Principal, School of Social Work, Harare, Zimbabwe.
68 Kiire, Mar low & Kaseke 
This study expanded on the one carried out by Brand, and followed not only the 
Diploma graduates, but also the Bachelor, Honours and Masters graduates. The 
Certificate graduates were excluded because these students tend to have rather 
different motives and backgrounds than the Diploma and Degree students. 
Specifically the objectives of this outcome study were to: 
1. describe the graduates' type of employment; 
2. examine the factors affecting the graduates' job selection and their job 
satisfaction; 
3. present the graduates' perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of 
their social work training; 
4. assess the relevance of the social work courses at the School for the 
graduates' work in Zimbabwe; and 
5. compare the employment experiences of the recent graduates with 
those included in the Brand study. 
A questionnaire, to be self-administered, was developed in September 1994 and 
pretested on selected graduates at the beginning of October. After consideration of 
the responses received, the questionnaire was revised and mailed in mid-October 
to graduates successfully completing the Diploma and Degree programmes 
between 1988 and 1992. 
The questionnaire included questions on basic demographics (age, gender, 
qualifications and employment status and location), the type of positions held, 
reasons for choosing this position, salary and job satisfaction ratings. In an effort 
to help the programme determine the relevance of the coursework offered, the 
respondents were asked to rate which courses had proven to be the most beneficial 
in their employment since graduation. The questionnaire used a combination of 
modified closed-ended questions and Likert scales. A cover letter plus a stampedaddressed 
envelope were sent out with the questionnaire. 
The total population of those graduating between 1988 to 1992 was 174 
graduates. The following 35 were then excluded: twenty-five foreign graduates 
(candidates from the sub-region include those from Ethiopia, Lesotho, South 
Africa, Namibia, Mozambique and the Sudan). Also excluded were five Zimbabweans 
living abroad; four deceased graduates and one graduate who is a member 
of the research team. Using contact tracing, it was possible to obtain the current 
work addresses of the 139 former students of the School of Social Work. By mid- 
December 1994, 70 graduates had responded, representing an 50% overall response 
rate. Two respondents returned their questionnaires after the deadline, 
leaving them ineligible for inclusion in the data analysis.
Graduates from the School of Social Work in Harare 69 
The majority of questions were addressed to all 70 respondents. However, at one 
point in the questionnaire, only respondents answering positively for presently 
holding a social work position (N=60) were asked to respond. Hence the "Results" 
section will specify whether questions were considered by either 70 or 60 
respondents. 
Description of the Graduate Sample 
See Table 1 for a summary of the sample characteristics. 
Table 1 Sample Characteristics 
Gender N % 
Male 40 
30 Female 
Age 
Range 22 to 51 years 
27 years Median 
Qualifications 
Diploma of Social Work 
Bachelor of Social Work (General) 
Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) 
Master of Social Work 
Other qualifications 
Employment Status 
Presently employed in Social Work 
Male 
Female 
Urban 
Rural 
Unemployed Involuntarily since graduation 
57,1% 
42,9%
80% 56 
41,4% 29 
17,1% 12 
8,2% 6 
26% 19 
% N 
86% 60 
34 
26 
56,6% 
43,3% 
61,0% 
38,0% 
30%
70 Kiire, Marlow & Kaseke 
Gender and Age 
Of the total number of respondents, 40 (57,1%) were male and 30 (42,9%) were 
female. The youngest respondent was aged 22 years of age and the eldest 51 years 
of age. The median age was 27 years, slightly younger than those in the Brand study 
where the median was 31 years for men and 29 years for women. There has been 
a noticeable shift in the ages of students pursuing social work studies. In the past 
and as captured in Brand's study there were more mature students, a factor which 
can probably be attributed to the fact that there were limited opportunities for 
people to pursue careers of their choice. A sizeable proportion of students, 
particularly before 1982, were either former school teachers or nurses. The massive 
expansion at secondary school level has resulted in a tremendous increase in the 
number of school leavers. The School of Social Work, like any other tertiary 
institution, is therefore under pressure to absorb some of these school leavers. 
In order to draw some comparisons with the Brand study, and in line with other 
outcome studies in social work, gender will be used as a major independent variable 
in this study. 
Qualifications 
Of the total number of respondents, 56 (80%) had a Diploma from the School of 
Social Work. Twenty-nine (41,4%) also had a Bachelor of Social Work General 
degree, and 12 (17,1%) the Honours degree. A total of 6 (8,2%) respondents had 
attained the Master of Social Work qualification. 
The large number of Diploma holders is largely due to the fact that the Diploma 
is the basic professional qualification in Zimbabwe and that one has to work fora 
minimum period of one year before coming back to enrol on the Bachelor of Social 
Work (General) degree. Many of the School's graduates work for more than one 
year before coming back to do the degree. Only candidates with good results at the 
Diploma can proceed to the Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) degree straight 
from the Diploma but the numbers are usually small. 
Respondents were asked to indicate any other qualifications (and the year of 
graduation) in addition to those obtained through the School of Social Work. 
Nineteen respondents (26%) of those qualifying between 1988 and 1992 had other 
qualifications, some of these non-social work oriented. Interestingly, quite a 
number of these "other" qualifications were obtained either simultaneously during 
studies at the School or a short time after graduation. These included certificates 
in accounting and bookkeeping; diplomas in personnel management and public 
relations; diplomas in journalism and communication; post-graduate certificates in 
project planning, monitoring and evaluation, and certificates in Women's Law and 
Family Therapy.
Graduates from the School of Social Work in Harare 71 
The other qualifications obtained by these graduates are intended to increase 
their marketability within a shrinking job market. The varied nature of these 
qualifications is indicative of the diverse fields in which social workers practice. 
Job Market 
Eighty six percent (60) were presently employed in social work positions, with 
61% in urban areas and 38% in rural areas. Almosta third of all respondents (30%) 
had, at some stage, been unemployed involuntarily, with 20% stating they had been 
unemployed for a period of one to six months, and 4,3% being unemployed for 
periods of over six months. There was no statistically significant difference 
between men and women regarding involuntary employment. 
Results 
Table 2 
Types of Positions bv Gender 
Type of Position 
The majority of the 60 respondents currently holding social work positions (55%) 
worked in government agencies versus 21,7% working in non-government agencies, 
10% in private organisations, 3% in parastatals, and 10% in "other" organisations. 
See Table 2 for a break down of type of position by gender. 
Employment setting 
Female 
N %
50,0 
Total 
N %
55,0 
Male 
N % 
17 33 Government 50,0 
34,6 Non-Government 21,7 13 11,8 
3,8 Private 10,0 6 14,7 
0,0 Parastatals 3,0 5,9 2
6 0,0 Other 10,0 17,6 
100 Totals 
16 
9
1
0
0 
26 100 60 
4
5
2
6 
34 100 
These are somewhat similar findings to the Brand study, although the total 
percentage employed in government organisations appears to be increasing 
(45,3% in the Brand study), and decreasing in the private sector (22,1% in the 
Brand study).
72 Kiire, Marlow & Kaseke 
The government, through the Department of Social Welfare, has historically 
been the biggest single employer of graduates from the School of Social Work. The 
activities and functions of the Department of Social Welfare represent the traditional 
domain of social work. The increase in the number employed in government 
can perhaps be attributed to the policy of decentralisation which has necessitated 
the creation of offices in every district. 
Tasks 
When questioned about the major tasks in their present position, respondents could 
answer all applicable answers unlike the Brand study where respondents were 
asked to identify "the major task." Although this makes comparison rather more 
difficult, it seemed to be more realistic reflection of the graduates jobs than having 
them identify only one task. In addition, other tasks were added in order to reflect 
changing tasks in social work and these included: youth work, work with disabled, 
psychiatric work, work with elderly, and work with refugees. The results from this 
question are displayed in Table 3. 
Tasks 
Child & Family Services 
Public Assistance 
Elderly 
Disabled 
Liason & Coordination 
Personnel 
Corrections 
Research 
Education & Training 
Refugees 
Psychiatric 
Medical 
Housing & Urban Devt 
Project Management 
Rural Devt.. 
Youth 
Recreation 
Table 3 
Present study Brandt study 
Ranking 
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
Ranking % % 
5 68,0 10,2 
3 60,0 10,7 
58,3 N/A N/A 
56,6 N/A N/A 
7 51,6 4,2 
1 36,6 20,5 
33,3 15,4 
28,3 3,2 
28,3 10,5 
25,0 N/A 
25,0 N/A 
23,3 2,1 
20,0 5,3 
20,0 2,6 
18,3 N/A 
15,0 N/A 
2
9
4 
N/A 
N/A 
12 
6 
10 
N/A 
N/A 
11 13,3 2,1
Graduates from the School of Social Work in Harare 73 
Sixty eight percent of the respondents claimed a primary task as working in child 
and family services, 60% in public assistance, 58,3% with the elderly, 56,6% with 
the disabled, 51,6% with liaison and coordination, 36,6% in personnel management, 
and 33,3% in corrections. In some respects this is a similar distribution of 
tasks as in the Brand study with the exception of the new tasks. Public assistance 
and child and family services are still the more prevalent tasks, although in the 
Brand study personnel management and corrections were ranked even higher. 
Medical social work, particularly when added to psychiatric social work, seems to 
be a more common task than ten years ago, when it was cited the least of any task. 
Public assistance and child and family services are still prevalent because these 
represent the major functions of the Department of Social Welfare, which as 
pointed out earlier on is the biggest single employer of social workers. 
The high ranking of personnel management in Brand's study can be attributed 
to the fact that the period 1979tol981 was a period of change occasioned by the 
need to create a new social order. Many organisations, particularly in the private 
sector were keen to appoint blacks as personnel mangers in order to improve 
industrial relations at the workplace and also as a way of responding to the 
aspirations of the black majority. It was therefore politically prudent to do so. In 
recent years, there has been a decline in the numbers employed in personnel 
management largely as a result of reorganisation in industry necessitated by the 
economic reform programme. Medical social work and psychiatric social work are 
more prominent now because of reorganisation within the Ministry of Health and 
Child Welfare which has warranted the creation of social work posts at provincial 
hospitals. Previously, these were confined to central hospitals only. 
Administration and Supervision 
Administrative positions were held by 13,3% of the 60 respondents, with 33,3% 
providing direct service and 56,6% stating they did both. Equal numbers of men 
and women held administrative roles, but almost twice as many women as men did 
direct service. However almost twice as many men as women stated that they did 
both direct service and held administrative roles, resulting in men having more 
administrative positions than women. The prevalence of men in administrative 
positions, particularly in government, can be attributed to the fact that most of the 
administrative positions are in offices located away from the capital city and major 
towns. Married women find it difficult to leave their families in the capital city or 
in the major towns. Many women are therefore forced by circumstances to forego 
promotions in the interest of family welfare. On the other hand, men are more 
mobile and are more willing to accept promotional posts in the rural areas or small 
towns.
74 Kiire, Marlow & Kaseke 
See Table 4 for a display of these results. 
Table 4 
Administrative Positions bv Gender 
Type Total 
% N N % 
Female
%
15,4 13,3 4 Administrative 8 11,8 
31,7 46,1 Direct Service 19 12 20,6 
Both 38,5 10 55,0 67,6 33 
Total 
N
4
7 
23 
34 100 100 60 
Sixty-five percent stated they worked in supervisory positions. More men (24) than 
women (15) were in supervisory roles, although not statistically significant, this 
difference was more marked than in the Brand study. See Table 5. 
100 
Table 5 
26 
Supervisory Positions bv Gender 
Female Male 
Male 
N N 
57,7 24 15 70,6 Supervisory 
11 42,3 10 29,9 Non-supervisory 
100 34 26 100 Total 
Salaries 
Salaries differed significantly for the 60 respondents holding social work positions, 
with the largest proportion (38,4%) falling in the Z$25 000 to Z$34 999 
salary range (ed note: $Z 10=approx $US 1). Twenty-five percent earned less than 
Z$25 000; and 18,3% earned from Z$35 000 to over Z$45 000. There was no 
statistical difference between men and women in the distribution of salaries, 
although more women than men fell in the Z$35 000 - Z$40 999 range in this study 
than in Brand's where men appeared to be receiving higher salaries than the 
women. The lack of statistical difference between men and women in the distribution 
of salaries can be attributed to the Equal Pay Regulations (1980) which made 
it mandatory for employers to provide equal pay for equal jobs. Prior to this men 
earned more than women in the same jobs.
Graduates from the School of Social Work in Harare 75 
Table 6 
Salaries bv Gender 
Salary Male 
N % 
Female 
N % 
Total 
N % 
15,4 4 32,3 11 15 Less than $25,000 25 
38,5 10 38,2 13 23 $25,000 - $34,999 38,3 
30,8 8 8,8 3 11 $35,000 - $44,999 18,3 
19,2 5 17,7 6 11 $45,000 and above 18,3 
100 26 39 100 60 Total 100 
Reason for Choosing Present Position 
The 60 respondents were asked to identify the reasons they chose their present 
position (the respondents were able to choose all answers that they felt were 
pertinent to their choice of job). The greatest proportion cited "uses my social work 
training" (72,8%); 60% because the training met the job requirement; 55,7% 
because the job was relevant to issues of concern; 48,5% because the position was 
challenging; and 35,7% because there was a lack of better job prospects elsewhere. 
These results differ somewhat from those reported by Brand, where the challenging 
nature of the job was the most frequently cited, and "well paid" was ranked as 
a more important factor than in this study. 
Perhaps, the challenging nature of the job was cited more frequently in Brand's 
study than in this study because at the time of Brand's study many organisations 
were initiating programmes to bring about the empowerment of marginalised 
groups and to bring about their reintegration into the mainstream of society and in 
harmony with the euphoria for independence. The euphoria has disappeared now 
and social workers are more realistic about what they can do. The choices open to 
social work graduates now are limited and they have easier access to jobs that 
require the utilisation of social work training. See Table 7 for a display of these 
results. 
Job Satisfaction 
The questionnaire asked all 70 respondents to evaluate various job satisfaction 
factors, using a Likert-type scale, with numbers from 1 (very satisfied) to 5 (very 
dissatisfied). Table 8 displays the findings from this question.
Table 7 
2 
N % 
18 
17 26 
22 
19 16 
14 
13 
15 11 
25,7 7 
37,1 
31,1 20 
22,9 
20,0 17 
18,6 24 
15,7 
76 Kiire, Mar low & Kaseke 
Reasons for Choosing Position 
Reasons 
Uses my social work training 
Suitability of training to job 
Relevance of job to issues of concern 
Challenging nature of work 
Lack of better job prospects elsewhere 
Personal reasons 
Well paid 
Agreement with agency policy 
Favourable impression of those in authority 
Good chance for promotion 
/ery satisfied 
1 
N % N 
34 48,6 
15,7 11 
14 20,0 
14,3 10 
Salary 5 7,1 
2 2,9 
2 2,9 
Table8 
Jpb Satisfaction 
Job Security 
Supervision of work 
Level of interest 
Managerial responsibilities 
Promotion prospects 
Perks/benefrts 
The graduates seemed to be most satisfied with their job security with 74,3% very 
satisfied or satisfied (ranked 1 or 2), the majority also seemed to be very satisfied 
or satisfied with the supervision of their work (52,8%) and their level of interest in 
their work (51,4%). However, 48,6% were very dissatisfied or dissatisfied with the 
perks and benefits they received, and 38,6% were similarly dissatisfied with their 
salaries. 
Present study Brand Study 
N 
51 72,8 47,8 2 
60,0 5 29,3 
55,7 35,9 
48,5 52,0 
35,7 19,6 
24,3 14,1 
18,6 29,3 
42 
39 
34 
25 
17 
13 
10 14,3 
3
1
7
8
4
9 8,7 
4 6,6 10 7,6 
3 4,2 6 28,3 
3 
very unsatisfied 
4 5 
% N % 
Missing 
N % 
4 1,4 8,6 5,7 
8,6 3 10,0 4,3 
N
1
6
4 1 5,7 12,9 1,4 
17,1 12 6 10,0 8,6 
10 17 14,3 10,0 24,3 
10 14 14,3 10,0 20,0 
% 
10,0 
24,3 
28,6 
27,1 
24,3 
34,3 
21,4 10 24 11,4 14,3 34,3 
6
7
9
7
7
7
8
Graduates from the School of Social Work in Harare 77 
The dissatisfaction with perks/benefits and salaries is particularly true among 
social workers employed in government This is however not peculiar to social 
workers as the problem of poor salaries and perks/benefits affects the majority of 
civil servants. However, the advantage of working in government is that there is 
job security. Job security is very critical in Zimbabwe today because of the 
economic structural adjustment programme which has forced enterprises to 
retrench workers, thus creating job insecurity. 
When job satisfaction ratings were analysed by gender it was found that 
generally there were no statistically significant differences with one exception. 
Women were more dissatisfied than men with their promotion prospects (chi 
square =13.7, significant at the .01 level). 
Coursework 
All respondents (70) were asked how useful their courses had been to their 
employment, and they were asked to rank each one from 1 to 5, with 1 being most 
useful and 5 being least useful. When rankings 1 and 2 (very useful and useful) were 
combined, courses in casework ranked the highest, according to 70% of the 
respondents. Basic psychology ranked second highest, with 68,6% of respondents, 
with courses in casework ranking third (67,1 %). Courses in research, anthropology 
and planning were ranked lowest. 
These results are similar to Brand's, and in fact to outcome studies outside of 
Zimbabwe (for example, Marlow, 1987). There seems to be a certain universality 
about the popularity of casework (or practice courses in general and fieldwork) and 
the unpopularity of research. 
The popularity of casework can therefore be attributed to the fact that it is the 
most widely used method of social work in Zimbabwe and has a long established 
tradition. An overwhelming majority of social workers in Zimbabwe practice in 
casework settings. On the other hand, the unpopularity of research appears to stem 
from the perception that research is difficult. This unpopularity is further exacerbated 
by the fact that most social work organisations do not routinely carry out 
research and in instances where they do so they often ask consultants (usually 
without social work background) to carry out the research. 
Benefits of the Programme 
The same scale used for coursework was also used for the question about perceived 
benefits of the programme. An overwhelming number of respondents (95,6%) felt 
the increase in their knowledge base was a very useful or useful aspect (ranked 1 
or 2) of the programme. This was followed by 84,2% claiming that the practical 
skills they attained as being very useful or useful, their exposure to new areas of 
social work was a benefit claimed by 81,4%, with higher aspirations for future 
study (80%) and increased competence on the job cited by 78,5%. These findings
78 Kiire, Marlow & Kaseke 
appear to correspond to the graduates' responses for why they chose their present 
position. Overall the job training seemed appropriate for their jobs. 
Benefits found least useful (ranked 4 or 5) were: access to benefits (41,5%); 
increased promotion opportunities (28,6%) and increased salary potential (25,8%). 
Weaknesses of the Programme 
Programme weaknesses were also evaluated using the same scale as in the previous 
two questions. See results displayed in Table 9. 
s 
a
Graduates from the School of Social Work in Harare 79 
Those aspects of the programme cited as the greatest weakness (ranking 1 or 2) 
included: administrative support (32,9%); hostel accommodation (30%); time 
given to fieldwork (25,7%) and relevance to social work in Zimbabwe (21,4%). 
It should be pointed out that the School of Social Work is not a government 
institution and therefore does not receive an administrative grant from the government 
It relies entirely on the fees it charges and also on donor support Consequently, 
the resource base of the School is weak and this impacts negatively on the 
School's capacity to provide administrative support to the students. On the issue 
of hostel accommodation, students have not liked the idea of self-catering as it robs 
them of their study time. The rationale for introducing self-catering was to 
encourage students to live cooperatively and to provide them with an opportunity 
to pool their resources together, particularly given the low support levels granted 
by government. There is now a new hostel built by the School of Social Work in 
1994 with a 'pay as you eat' facility. The new hostel also provides a more 
comfortable accommodation for the students. 
On the issue of relevance to social work in Zimbabwe it is perhaps helpful to note 
that the School of Social Work puts more emphasis on social work education as 
opposed to training. Training is more specific and tries to prepare students for 
specific jobs in the field. Social work education on the other hand, is broader and 
exposes students not only to what is happening in the field but also to what should 
happen. Thus social work education should not only be influenced by current 
practice patterns and models but should seek to influence changes in the practice 
patterns and models. The ultimate aim however is to ensure that practice patterns 
and models remain responsive to local needs. 
Limitations of the Study 
The research method used in this study resulted in the following limitations: 
1. Due to the use of mailed questionnaires the return rate was limited to 50%- 
Cost and time limitations prevented second mailings. Although one authority 
states that a response rate of at least 50% is adequate for comprehensive analysis 
and reporting (Rubin & Babbie, 1993), a larger response rate would have resulted 
in greater confidence in the validity of the findings. There is always the possibility 
that the respondent pool is simply not representative of the entire population. One 
factor in which this was clearly the case was gender, as respondents included a 
higher proportion of women than in the total population of graduates. With 
outcome studies there is always the possibility that those not responding tend to be 
unemployed or underemployed, and the more successful in finding appropriate 
employment are those who respond.
80 Kiire, Marlow & Kaseke 
2. The use of a questionnaire with more open-ended questions may have given 
more in-depth information concerning various areas, for example, more qualitative 
data on the graduates' experiences working for different types of organisations, 
and fuller reflections on their job satisfaction and perceived strengths and weaknesses 
of the programme. 
3. Some of the questions did not exactly duplicate those in the Brand study 
leading to problems in the direct comparison of the results. However, this was 
deemed necessary in order to incorporate content that reflected more recent 
developments in the field. In addition, this study included degree graduates, 
whereas the Brand study included only diploma graduates, hence comparisons 
between the two studies are further limited. The inclusion of more qualified 
graduates could result in some bias, for example, a greater proportion occupying 
administrative positions and perhaps a lower likelihood of unemployment 
Discussion 
It was heartening to see gender in various areas not play as pivotal role in the job 
market as one may surmise. However there appears some concern from the women 
regarding their promotional prospects, although currently salaries appear to be 
comparable. 
In addition, men appear to still hold a greater proportion of administrative 
positions and are still more likely to be in supervisory positions. This appears to be 
a universal concern in social work, particularly when the majority of clients served 
are often women. 
The results on involuntary unemployment leads to the conclusion that graduates 
are increasingly affected by the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme. The 
1990s have brought major retrenchments and the freezing of vacant positions. In 
addition the future of graduates has been affected by peace negotiations across the 
borders in both Mozambique and South Africa In Mozambique thousands of 
refugees who were in border camps have returned home, which has meant that there 
is no need for social workers to be employed by the agencies which previously 
served the camps. With the recent changes in South Africa, some international 
organisations have closed theirZimbabwean offices and relocated to South Africa, 
resulting in further retrenchment of Zimbabwe social workers. 
In order to adapt to these fluctuations in the job market it may become even more 
necessary for graduates to augment their social work training in other fields. The 
twenty-six percent of respondents already gaining these additional qualifications 
will likely increase. Unless of course the social work training itself can be expanded
Graduates from the School of Social Work in Harare 81 
in these areas, perhaps some consideration could be given to including more 
content on computers, bookkeeping, writing budgets, etc. 
Important to note is that although the graduates generally found their training 
appropriate and considered this an important factor in their choice of job, the 
implications of the 50% response rate have to be considered. It is quite possible that 
a high proportion of those not responding were unemployed and/or found their 
social work training not useful or appropriate. Future follow-up studies need to 
pursue this possibility by ensuring a higher response rate. 
Although the curriculum is becoming increasingly indigenised, there is still 
work to be done to ensure that the programme is even more responsive to the needs 
of the Zimbabwe people. This concern was expressed by quite a sizeable proportion 
of the graduates. Again, those who did not respond to the survey would be 
suspected of thinking that the programme is not very responsive to the needs of 
Zimbabwe, particularly as suspected, these non-respondents are unemployed. 
Mupedziswa (1992) points out "...the profession must become more aggressive, 
and more adventurous, if it is to be taken seriously andindeedifit is to become more 
relevant." The School is moving in this direction and efforts have been made 
recently to incorporate areas of concern for social work into the curriculum, for 
example content on AIDS and refugees. Much of the effect of these changes will 
not be reflected in this study, but it can be anticipated they will impact more on later 
graduates. Such work along with advocating for higher salaries will ensure a 
healthy future for social work in Zimbabwe. 
It is perhaps pertinent to point out that the School of Social Work continues to 
review its curriculum to ensure that it remains responsive to the needs of 
Zimbabwe. The School of Social Work plans to discontinue the Diploma programme 
in the next year and introduce a straight Bachelor of Social Work 
(Honours) degree. This new degree will bring with it a new course configuration, 
particularly in the fourth year in order to ensure relevance or appropriateness of 
social work education. New courses will include Project Planning and Management, 
Child Welfare Policy and Practice, Management of Social Work Organisations 
and Residential Social Work. These changes would make the School's 
graduates more competitive on the job market. The School of Social Work has also 
found it necessary to introduce short post-qualifying courses in the areas of 
Juvenile Justice, AIDS Counselling and Project Planning and Management for the 
benefit of social workers in the field.This enables social workers whose training 
never encompassed these areas to up-grade their skills and update their knowledge. 
Overall the School's programmes are increasingly focusing on social development 
and this calls for a shift in the practice patterns and models for social workers.
82 Kiire, Marlow & Kaseke 
References 
Brand, V (1983) "School of Social Work Diploma Graduates, 1971-1981: A 
Follow up Study of Work and Educational Experiences," School of Social Work 
Report, Harare. 
Kaseke, E (1991) "Social Work Practice in Zimbabwe," in Journal of Social 
Development in Africa, 6,1, pp 33-45. 
Marlow, C (1987) "A Study of Social Work Graduates 1980-1984," Department 
of Social Work Report, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New 
Mexico. 
Mupedziswa, R (1992) "Africa at the Crossroads," in Journal of Social 
Development in Africa, 7,2, pp 19-38. 
Rubin, A & Babbie, R (1993) Research Methods for Social Work, Brooks Cole: 
Belmont, California.