When war enters the classroom: Practitioner reflections on teaching social work beyond neutrality

Abstract

War enters social work classrooms, expressed in students’ and educators’ fears, identities, losses, and relationships. Drawing on practice experience in a conflict-affected, politically divided classroom, this reflection questions pedagogical neutrality and offers six principles for ethically accountable teaching: recognising context, creating safety without silence, using the educator’s self reflexively, welcoming multiple forms of knowledge, examining unequal power and vulnerability, and moving from empathy to solidarity and action. The framework is intended as a practical resource for social work educators and field instructors, working in war-affected and polarised settings.