Abstract:
The profession of social work has seen many changes in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past 50 years. One of the most significant events has been the establishment of a Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB) and the subsequent enactment of the Social Workers Registration Act of 2003. This Act has attempted to protect the public through the registration of social workers meeting the criteria of ‘fit and proper’ to practise social work. While the debate on the responsibility of schools of social work to graduate ethical social workers is not new, the ‘fit and proper’ criteria have given renewed incentive for educators and other social work bodies to revisit this issue. This paper looks at various facets of this issue in relation to admission and graduation of social work students in Aotearoa New Zealand.