Right: Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been accused of undermining an Australian tradition of secular education in state schools.
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Arguments in favour of federally funded school chaplains in state schools
1. School chaplains do not promote their particular religious beliefs
School chaplains are specifically prohibited from attempting to teach their particular religious beliefs or to convert students to their religious denomination.
The Program Guidelines and Code of Conduct for the National School Chaplaincy program specifically state that no chaplain is to provide ‘religious education in their schools’ as part of the program. If the school decides to offer religious instruction for interested students it is recommended that a different person is used for this purpose, so as not to create role confusion in students’ minds.
The Guidelines also prohibit chaplains ‘initiating faith discussions with a view to coercing or manipulating students to a particular view or spiritual belief.’
The Guidelines recognise the potential for new communications media to be used by chaplains in order to teach a particular religious persuasion. This is also specifically prohibited. Chaplains are to refrain from ‘using other methods such as social media – blogs and facebook, or newsletters and school websites, to proselytise/evangelise to students within their school, in their role as a Program funded school chaplain/student welfare worker.’
In an opinion piece published on July 4, 2014, in The New Daily, Peter James, a spokesperson for the National School Chaplaincy Association, stated, ‘School chaplaincy is pastoral care, not pedagogy. It’s not about converting students, but it is about providing social, emotional and spiritual support.’
2. School chaplains have a breadth of life experience which makes them of particular value to students
Chaplains typically have much experience in helping people deal with trauma and loss. In an opinion piece published on July 4, 2014, in The New Daily, Peter James, a spokesperson for the National School Chaplaincy Association, stated, ‘At times of grief and loss, a school chaplain is available to the whole school community for support, working with the rest of a school’s pastoral care team as students and teachers come to terms with a tragedy or natural disaster.’
Queensland North State School principal Veronica Geiger has stated, ‘Our students, staff, parents and the entire North community would suffer a great loss if we didn't have Chappy Sel.
After the devastating 2013 floods, many of our students were distressed and anxious. Their emotional health and wellbeing were at risk.’
Mrs Geiger noted that some of her students and their families had lost everything to the floods and that Chappy Sel did an ‘awesome job’ in supporting their recovery.
In addition all chaplains have specific training in assisting students with social and emotional problems. As of 201, all chaplains working within the National School Chaplaincy program are required to have Certificate IV in Youth Work, Pastoral Care or an equivalent qualification. Many chaplains have significant qualifications beyond this.
Chaplains are also engaged members of their local communities and so are in a position to refer students, with the authorisation of the Principal, to support networks and other relevant specialists from outside the school.
Peter James has explained this function. ‘All school chaplains are trained in how to recognise [psychological] issues and to refer [students] to psychologists or others. The chaplain becomes a source of referral and a support person, for the student and their family.’
3. Though state schools are secular, a majority of Australians profess some religious belief
A majority of Australians have a religious belief. The 2006 Australian Bureau of Statistics data indicate that 79 per cent of Australians declare themselves as the followers of a particular religion. About 13 million or 64% of Australians called themselves ‘Christian’. Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism and other religions, though marked minorities, have grown, largely due to increased immigration from the Asian region.
This data suggests that a majority of Australians recognise a spiritual dimension to life and thus it may be of value to them to receive support from a chaplain with a similar perspective.
It has also been noted that students may have general spiritual concerns that they would like to discuss with and informed supportive adult, not with a view to being converted to a particular religious persuasion, but so as to help them form and clarify their own views.
In an opinion piece published on July 4, 2014, in The New Daily, Peter James, a spokesperson for the National School Chaplaincy Association, stated, ‘Spirituality is an explicit part of the program – not teaching theology and not converting students – but being a well-trained, non-judgemental, non-coercive support to students as they pull together the various facets of their lives in meaningful ways. This requires appropriate parental and student consents.’
The National School Chaplaincy Association has stated in relation to spiritual guidance that the chaplain’s role is ‘Supporting students who wish to explore their spirituality [and] providing guidance on religious, values and ethical matters’.
4. All one-on-one interaction between students and a chaplain require parental consent and willing student participation
The whole school community needs to have been involved in the decision to apply for a federally-funded school chaplain; therefore, in terms of the general support services supplied by this chaplain, the consent of the broader school community is assumed.
The Program Guidelines and Code of Conduct for the National School Chaplaincy program state that ‘Participation in the Program is voluntary and school communities will have supported successful applications. School communities will have also determined the role and the choice of school chaplain/student welfare worker. Therefore general school chaplain/student welfare worker interaction within the school does not require mandatory opt-in arrangements.’
More specific consent is required for one-on-one interaction between the chaplain and individual students. The Program Guidelines and Code of Conduct for the National School Chaplaincy program note that ‘The Department recommends that arrangements include consent forms for prearranged one on one appointments/sessions and ongoing assistance from the school chaplain/student welfare worker, particularly where there is religious or spiritual content or where the activities require professional expertise such as counselling.’
5. It seems likely that funding provisions can be made to allow government-supported chaplains to continue to work in Australian schools
Two recent High Court decisions have directed that the federal government does not have the power to directly fund school chaplaincy programs. Supporters of the program that this decision does not represent a criticism of the work done within the program, nor concern over the potential for Church-based personnel to influence a secular education system.
The High Court’s two decisions have been entirely procedural, that is, they have each been judgements that the Constitution does not give the federal government authority to fund particular on-going programs.
In an opinion piece published on July 4, 2014, in The New Daily, Peter James, a spokesperson for the National School Chaplaincy Association, stated, ‘For the six sitting justices, this case was a small point of law, limited only to the school chaplaincy program: can the Commonwealth authorise direct spending for a program of support in schools – direct spending, rather than through grants to the states? The court ruled out direct spending.
But the court also said “it may be accepted some students would derive advantage” from using the services of a school chaplain. They said “it may be assumed … chaplaincy services at a school will help some students.”’
The Abbott government has indicated its intention to investigate alternate methods of financing the National School Chaplaincy Program. The terms of the most recent High Court ruling would seem to suggest that grants to the states to fund the program may be a constitutionally valid solution.