Social Policy focuses on the well-being of society as a whole. In my future position as a human services worker, I will primarily concern myself with education. A strong educational basis is what forms the pillars of our society, and neglecting this aspect means neglecting the future. I therefore believe that education should, according to social policy, be aimed at developing each individual student to his or her full potential. This will then also be my aim in the future as a human services worker. I will therefore be implementing strategies to further the general social principle of equality and opportunity for all who are willing to take the opportunities offered to them.
Public schools and private schools approach the education mandate differently. Public schools for example are funded by the state, from public taxes, whereas private schools are generally funded by school fees and fundraising activities. Public schools are therefore neither charges fees for education, nor do they have a policy of acceptance for children entering the school. In this way, such schools are representative of the communities in which they operate. Because they are obliged to offer an equal level of education to all children, public schools often offer programs to accommodate children with special needs. Private schools generally do not offer such services, or charge extra fees if they do. They do however feature a smaller teacher to student ratio, which many parents view as a superior element to public schools.
Apart from lobbying, I believe I can meet my clients' needs by ensuring that public policy continues to serve their needs. Working for a government organization will place me in a position to influence law-making parties via documentation and studies related to my clients' needs. In this way, even if I cannot take part in lobbying, I can ensure that the public interest is best served by lobbying efforts, and that tax money is applied in a targeted manner to provide the highest possible quality of education to all children.
Sources
GreatSchools.net. (1998-2007). "Public vs. Private Schools: What's the Difference? http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticlefeature/ca/197
Introduction to Social Policy. (2007). "Education and Social Policy. http://www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/education.htm
