This article recommends widening the debate on the role of youth work in schools and the distinction between the goals of teaching and the goals of youth work in schools. The merging of the two roles into the teaching profession has the potential to either diminish the traditional role of youth workers in schools or to enhance and broaden the teaching role. The ultimate concern should be that students benefit from professional services that not only increase their knowledge in education fields but also address individual developmental needs as they confront various problems. The role of youth workers in schools in relation to teachers has become an important issue in a number of Australian States where youth workers are employed in schools. In the State of Victoria, for example, recent changes to the accreditation and licensing of teachers through the newly established Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) and the inclusion of youth work as an approved undergraduate curriculum in the student welfare aspect of teaching qualifications have led to discussions about an emerging career model for youth worker practice. These changes in requirements for the accreditation and licensing of teachers have potentially blurred the professional boundaries that have traditionally set youth work practice apart from teaching. There is evidence that other Australian jurisdictions are moving in the same direction regarding the merging of the youth work and teaching roles in schools. 41 references