The invisible mentor: professionalisation gap and the crisis of altruism in social work

Field education accounts for approximately a quarter of the bachelor’s degree programme in social work in the Czech Republic. However, mentors – social workers already employed by the organisations where students undertake their placements, who supervise students alongside their regular work duties – occupy an ambiguous position under national legislation. While the IASSW Global Standards call for quality-assured field education, and countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia mandate specialised mentor training, Czech legislation makes no provision for mentors’ further training, status, or remuneration. Drawing on professional socialisation theory and the concept of mentoring quality, this article examines mentors’ position through the case of the University of Ostrava, presenting findings from a survey of 107 mentors at 232 partner organisations (April–August 2025). The results show that only 32.1% have the role specified in their employment contract, 85.4% receive no additional remuneration on top of their salary for mentoring, and 87.6% have completed no specialised training. The article argues the Czech case illustrates a broader pattern of field education systems in post transformation Central and Eastern European contexts relying on professional altruism rather than institutionalised support and calls for a legally and financially anchored mentoring model.