ABSTRACT
Weak leadership and low levels of professional and academic performance have resulted in social work's compromised identity; instead of employing state-of-the-art research to advance social justice, the field has been populated by those maintaining the status quo through a de facto patronage system. Uncontrolled growth in social work education has been aggravated by a relatively stagnant student applicant pool, forcing many social work programs to adopt open enrollment, which in turn, has led to a weaker student body as evident in abysmally low GRE scores. Contemporary vectors in social work education may point to it becoming more a vocational activity than a profession. In Europe, for example, social work education follows various models, from basic post-high school training to university study. Fundamental reform requires honest self-appraisal and a reconsideration of the purposes and function of social work and professional education.
