From the Sydney Morning Herald website
More schools opting for secular workers instead of chaplains
By Dan Harrison
January 10, 2012
"Chaplains and student welfare workers are a great asset to schools" ...
Peter Garrett, School Education Minister. Photo: Dean Sewell
MORE than 200 schools that have had a federal government-funded chaplain plan to hire a secular welfare worker instead, taking advantage of changes to the $222 million scheme.
Before the School Education Minister, Peter Garrett, announced the changes in September, schools could only appoint a welfare worker if they could prove that no chaplain was available.
Government figures show that of 2512 schools which have reapplied for funding, 208, or 8 per cent, have proposed to employ a welfare worker; 2236, or 89 per cent, indicated they wanted a chaplain or religious pastoral care worker; while 68, or 3 per cent, said they had not decided which they wanted.
A discussion paper released last year to inform a review of the program showed that 0.01 per cent of workers employed under the program had no religious affiliation, yet more than 18 per cent of the population says it has no religion.
Welfare workers were most popular in the ACT, where 28 per cent of schools that were reapplying for funding opted for one instead of a chaplain.
In NSW, 14 per cent of schools with federal government-funded chaplains said they wanted a secular welfare worker instead. Eighty-three per cent said they would continue to employ a chaplain, while 3 per cent had not decided between a welfare worker and chaplain.
Full Story: http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/more-schools-opting-for-secular-workers-instead-of-chaplains-20120109-1prs2.html
