Activist Leadership in Social Work Education: A Case Study in Australia

A group of four social work academic leaders collaborated with students and trade union advocates to bring about significant reform in Australian higher education. The campaign resulted in the Federal Government announcing a Commonwealth-funded 'Prac Payment' to support approximately 68,000 students, mainly from disadvantaged backgrounds, with expenses during mandatory, unpaid placements. This initiative aims to address placement poverty and promote social justice in the education system.

Key Takeaways:

• The campaign, involving a multipronged strategy, led to the Federal Government's announcement of the Commonwealth-funded 'Prac Payment' to support 68,000 students with expenses during unpaid placements.
• The activist leadership approach was inclusive and democratic, demonstrating antioppressive values in practice and a commitment to social justice by amplifying the voices of students with lived experience of placement poverty.
• The research concludes that the activist leadership in this campaign contributes to understanding social work leadership by shifting focus from individual leaders to leadership as a practice fostering others' leadership.
• The campaign initiated a national movement to assist students, particularly those from equity backgrounds, to complete their degrees and enter feminized professions with workforce shortages.
• The research emphasizes the importance of collective activism and coalition-building in achieving progressive reforms in higher education.
• The 'Prac Payment' is expected to assist some students with financial assistance to complete their degrees, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• The study highlights the impact of activist leadership on changing higher education policy in Australia.
• The research has been peer-reviewed and published in The British Journal of Social Work.

Statistics:

• 68,000 students studying social work, nursing, teaching, early childhood, and midwifery will benefit from the Commonwealth-funded 'Prac Payment' to support expenses during unpaid placements.
• Approximately 2,000 students will be directly supported by the 'Prac Payment', while 66,000 will indirectly receive benefits from the increased focus on unpaid placements.
• The 'Prac Payment' aims to address placement poverty and promote social justice in the education system.
• The research concluded that the activist leadership in this campaign initiated a national movement to assist students from equity backgrounds.

Sources:

• NewsRx. Studies from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Yield New Data on Social Work (Activist Leadership In Social Work Education: a Recent Australian Example That Secured Paid Placements for Students). Politics & Government Business. July 24, 2025; p 529.
• The British Journal of Social Work. Activist Leadership In Social Work Education: a Recent Australian Example That Secured Paid Placements for Students.