Since the introduction of the National School Chaplaincy Program by the Howard government, close to half a billion dollars has been spent on largely unqualified chaplains, while real pastoral care from professional counsellors is pitifully thin on the ground.
Furthermore, the NSCP may be illegal. The constitution prohibits religious tests for public office, and yet non-religious people are considered for chaplaincy roles only if no ‘suitable’ religious candidate can be found. This is clearly discriminatory.
The NSW Teachers’ Federation had this to say about the program:
The National School Chaplaincy Program announced by the Howard Government represents one of the most misguided and divisive policies yet to be announced… [the NSCP] is a flagrant misuse of urgently needed funding for public schools. Further, it represents a crude attempt to provide even more funding to private religious schools.
At a time of ever increasing social pressures on children, what is needed is an enhancement of professional school counselling services. Currently the school counsellor to student ratio stands at about 1:1000 in NSW schools. This money for the National School Chaplaincy Program would be better spent on additional school counsellors to achieve a more manageable caseload.
Furthermore, the Federal Government’s proposal stands in stark contra-distinction to and undermines Australia’s secular traditions. The potential division caused by this program, within school communities of different faiths, is of concern.
It is only in a secular society where freedom from and freedom for religion is guaranteed. Recognising this, the opportunity already exists in all public schools for local, recognised religious groups to provide special religious education (scripture).
The Australian Psychology Society says there is ‘clear evidence that school chaplains are engaging in duties for which they are not qualified’ and that this amounts to ‘dangerous professional behaviour’.
High Court Challenge
In view of the possible constitutional breaches, Mr Ron Williams has launched a High Court Challenge to the National School Chaplaincy Program. We must support him.
However, the enemies of secularism are not taking this affront to their access to children’s minds lying down. A number of (mainly christian) groups, notably Scripture Union Queensland, are lobbying hard to keep their undeserved access to school children, and have launched a social media campaign to this effect.
We must respond with resolve.
Stand up for secular education
With this in mind, I have launched Say No To Chaplains. With only two clicks, you can make your voice heard too.
Visit http://www.NoToChaplains.org now to Tweet your message to Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Education Minister Peter Garrett, and spread the word on Facebook.
While you are there, you can find out more about secularism and education, and if you have a blog or other website, use the Say No To Chaplains website button to help me spread the word!
Together, we can make our voices heard too.
Teachers say no to chaplains. The constitution says no to chaplains. Please say no to chaplains too.
20 Comments
Awesome post Dave – I’m on board!
Thanks, Daniel! Spread the word!
Infinite thanks Dave, you’ve done a magnificent job with this!
Hey mate,
The ‘NSW Federation of Teachers’ is actually the ‘NSW Teachers Federation’. I know it’s only a technicality but thought you’d like to know.
Cheers,
AU
Ron,
Your support means a lot. This effort is tiny compared with the effort you’ve put in, and for which so many of us are grateful. You’ve taken a lot of stick for standing up too. I hope I get to buy you a beer one day!
AU,
Thanks very much for letting me know! How dopey of me. I’ve made the corrections.
Heck! you have a long way to go before you can match the 10 000 supporters on your opposition’s site
Hi Gerry,
So far I haven’t found a way of verifying the figure of 9,700 supporters SU QLD are claiming. Even assuming that’s accurate (I don’t for a second trust them to tell the truth), there’s still a lot to be said for making clear that support for chaplains is far from unanimous.
My site is so far targeted narrowly on the use of Twitter to express opposition to the Program (it also uses Facebook, but only to spread the word).
On this chosen battleground of Twitter, in its first 36 hours of operation, Say No To Chaplains has received over FIVE TIMES as many voices of opposition to NSCP than SU QLD’s campaign has achieved in eight days.
SU QLD no doubt have budget for this PR campaign. They have an establish supporter base. Their social media and web campaign appears to be a professional effort.
I’m one guy with an idea, a few bucks for bandwith, some spare time and some coding background.
Yes, there’s a way to go yet. Say No To Chaplains will only ever be one part of a broader campaign. But in the first 36 hours, Dave has torn strips off Goliath.
This Wednesday Evening on ABC 1, Hungry Beast will look at the issue of School Chaplaincy. 9.30pm. Tune in, spread the word.
Can you put a link to the GetUp School Chaplaincy Campaign page on your site?
1st Michael:
Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll plug it well tomorrow. Let me know if you need to know anything about my site.
Michael B:
On it. Thanks!
Is there a Quotable Quotes page on here somewhere? Would be handy to see a showing of prominent public comments (eg. Bob Carr, Michael Kirby, Leslie Cannold, Ron Williams, etc, contrasted with Evonne Paddison, Tim Mander, Bishop Hale etc).
That’s a really good idea, Brendan. Thanks! I’ll try to put one up when I get time!
Interesting idea, but given that over 95% of the schools that have taken up this NSCP program believe it has provided benefits, shouldn’t we first understand the value of the program before simply claiming its a bad idea simply because those who are employed have a religious affiliation?
After all a Chaplain by definition is a religious affiliation.
Sounds like there are a lot of folk with theophobia!
‘given that over 95% of the schools that have taken up this NSCP program believe it has provided benefits’
[Citation needed]. Even if that were true, ‘some benefits’ says nothing of the harm caused.
Cult recruitment is not an appropriate way to spend state school funding.
Theophobia? No. I ain’t afraid of no ghosts. The word you are looking for is secularism, and it is indispensible.
That christians are also vocally opposing the NSCP is testament to the fact that this is not about atheism or anti-theism, but an abuse of public funding, a risk to children and a divisive influence on society.
Look again at notochaplains.org. Not one of the arguments presented have anything to do with the foolishness of theism, and everything to do with keeping schools religiously neutral.
I saw the Compass program and, although a “religious person” (one possible label), I shared a number of Ron’s concerns – most specifically about Scripture Union. I have considered looking at school chaplaincy as an option for myself (I’m a fully trained high school teacher – of science) in fact. However, the monopoly that Scripture Union has on the employment of chaplains (and that you have to go along with their particular brand of religion/Christianity) put me off entirely.
However, I’m not sure that Ron isn’t, in fact, anti-religion – his song ridicules religion. I just wish we could have a sensible discussion about these things without getting into polarised debate. And the assumption that religious people leave their brains/reason at the door of the churches/synagogues/mosques – or even, at birth, is rampantly prejuidiced and mistaken in regards to most of us.
So come on – can’t we be intelligent about this when it comes to religion and schools. Atheism is no more value-free than religion.We could even argue that teaching something about different religions from a CULTURE perspective could inform and promote tolerance for many religions (and could also include secular humanism!). It could also be the best antidote to ‘bad theology’ (of fundamentalist religious sorts e.g. “non-believers will burn in hell” – which is NOT a mainstream religious, at least Christian, point of view) AND the best antidote to true brainwashing/proselytising.
My 6yr old goes to an excellent govt school. The only thing lacking in this school/system is a preparedness to admit that religion is an important aspect of many peoples’ cultures (i.e. that religions actually exist). I think it’s high time that our children learned about religions in school as part of a cultural reality for many in our multicultural nation of Australia. And yes – secular humanism could be taught as another system of values/ethics alongside others.
What’s wrong Pete? Aren’t you happy anymore?
The High Court hearing went terrible for Ron Williams. The Judges did not want to hear any ‘defence’ of the section 116 issue. It’s obvious they don’t see any religious test or any breach of church/state relationships. School chaplaincy is here to stay – it’s just a matter of how it would be funded.
PS. you don’t seem to allow any comments that disagree with your views on the blog. Funny that.
Hi Gerry,
I don’t know who Pete is, but I’m presuming you have just failed to read the name of the site.
I don’t know why you think your comments have not passed moderation, but since neither this blog nor the Say No To Chaplains blog has any comments in the moderation queue, and as far as I can tell, every one of your comments has been published, I’m presuming you have just failed to keep track of where you’ve posted.
I don’t know on what basis you think the challenge went ‘terribly’ for Ron, as the decision will not be published for months, but I’m presuming if you were as unconcerned as you claim, you wouldn’t be posting on my blog.
Even if the challenge is not upheld (and I’m reasonably confident it will be), the chaplaincy program’s reputation is in tatters, as are that of ACCESS Ministries and Scripture Union Queensland. With every botched attempt at managing the media and every revelation of incompetence and cruelty, the news sites flood with disgust at these ghoulish predators’ designs on kids’ minds.
I’d say the future looks good for secular education.
Thanks for your comment, Gerry.
Sorry Dave the sad singer for getting your name wrong. You just don’t get it. There is no consequence from your so called “reputation in tatters” comment on the employing authorities. The federal government is about to give them another 220m to extend and expand school chaplaincy for the next 3 years. Its unstoppable! You blokes get great comfort from making each other feel good. When are you going to face the facts that you are in the minority.
Time will tell, won’t it?
Gerry, we are not in the minority. Australians are waking up to the government massive waste of fund on this ridiculous program. $475 million to place religious people into public school and then telling them they cannot act religious is bizarre and plain stupid. It is no wonder many in the Christian Taliban cannot stop themselves from “spreading to love of Jebus” to unwilling and unsuspecting school children, or sneaking in creationism in the name of gawd. Australia is waking up and realising the tentacles religious has spread all over this great land – and they don’t like it.