China's first qualification test for social workers will be held in June. The country will see the first batch of professional social workers, a huge step taken in public service.

People's daily reports that currently, the biggest challenge to social work in China is that most people do not understand what it really means. Experts say social work doesn't simply mean volunteering or community work. It covers service in medical care, welfares, as well as help for the elderly and the disabled.

However, social workers are not just helpers. The paper quotes Professor Wang Sibin from Peking University as saying that social workers are regarded as 'doctors for the entire society'. They help others not only with their problems, but also with their abilities to face and solve problems.

The professor says social work should in fact be part of the policy-making process, as practitioners can have close contacts with people, understand their needs and reflect the reality to policy-makers.

He also suggests the government create more space for social workers through policy and financial assistance. Meanwhile, consistent training should be provided by public sectors as well. A qualification test is purely the beginning of a career, which needs to be improved through life-long learning.