Is it really all about the money ?

From The Gold Coast Courier Mail

 Chaplaincy still kicking goals

 By Colin Gilmore
 29th September 2011 

CHAPLAIN SUPPORT: Nate Barnes’s chaplaincy role is unlikely to be affected by

the High Court case, as the service is totally funded by local

church and community groups.

ELANORA State High School's community has little reason to fear a pending High Court case, which could affect national school chaplaincy services.

Judgment on a challenge to the Federal Government's ability to fund chaplaincy services directly, rather than through the States, has been reserved.

Scripture Union Queensland CEO Tim Mander said if the plaintiff won, the case's effects could be felt far beyond chaplaincy.

But Elanora chaplain and Tweed Heads Seagulls winger Nate Barnes said his school was fortunate to be "totally funded by local church and community groups".

"Their contributions allow the chaplaincy service to operate," Mr Barnes said.

 "If the government funding was to be cut, it wouldn't initially affect us directly, but it would affect chaplaincy services that do rely heavily on the government funding."

 Full Story:   http://www.goldcoastmail.com.au/story/2011/09/29/chaplaincy-still-kicking-goals/

Education Minister - Media Release

Media Release
From The Hon Peter Garrett MP
Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth
7 September, 2011


Schools given greater choice under expanded chaplains program

Schools will be able to choose the type of support that best meets the needs of their students under changes to the Government’s National School Chaplaincy Program outlined today.

School Education Minister Peter Garrett said from next year, school communities will be able to choose to employ either a chaplain or a secular student welfare worker. The scheme will also be strengthened with the introduction of minimum qualifications, benchmark standards for service providers, and improvements to the complaints management system.

 “The Gillard Government is committed to extending this successful scheme to up to an extra 1000 schools from 2012, with priority given to schools serving disadvantaged areas or in regional or remote locations and an extra $222 million in funding,” Mr Garrett said.

 “We know chaplains are already doing great work in our school communities and I expect that many more schools will apply for funding to employ a chaplain when applications for the new round open later this year.

 “But we also want to give schools greater choice. This means schools won’t miss out on applying for the program if the school community would prefer to have a secular welfare worker instead of a chaplain.

“The chaplaincy program has proven very popular and we want to make sure schools and students are getting the full benefit, which is why we held a consultation earlier this year asking what was working and what could be improved,” Mr Garrett said.

 “We had strong feedback for the program to be extended to qualified secular welfare workers, which will empower principals and school communities to choose the right person for the needs and circumstances of their school. This will also provide even more help and support to kids across the country.

 “The scheme will be re-named the National School Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Program to reflect its broader scope.”


Full article:   http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Garrett/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_110907_102159.aspx

Further Information:   http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/NSCSWP/Pages/NSCSWP.aspx

Australians all, let us divide...

Submitted by Graham

From The West Australian  

Schools change national anthem

By Bethany Hiatt - Education Editor
September 23, 2011, 2:40 am

Some private Christian schools are singing an alternative version of the national anthem which promotes religious values and talks of Christ.

Instead of the official second verse of Advance Australia Fair, which starts "Beneath our radiant Southern Cross", the alternative verse says "With Christ our head and cornerstone, we'll build our nation's might".

The version of the anthem is sung every fortnight at Thornlie Christian College and Christian Schools Australia WA executive officer Ray Dallin confirmed that it was regularly sung at other school assemblies and churches.

He believed the verse was in the original anthem by Peter Dodds McCormick but had been omitted from the official version.

"It's probably normal for the Christian schools to do that because it's the Christian element of that song which is often left out," he said.

But others say the existence of a missing Christian verse is a myth started by Awakening, a Christian movement, and it was never part of the composer's original work.

Original verses from 1879 in the National Library of Australia music collection do not include the Christian verse.

Full Story:   http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/10321316/schools-change-national-anthem/


So glad that the reporter checked with the PM's office. Yes, changing the anthem is contrary to national protocol. What does this school want to do next... add an icon from one particular religion to our national flag ? Oh, wait...

===================================================================

Also covered, with public comments, over on the ABC News website

Full story:   http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-23/christian-schools-changing-the-national-anthem/2939594

Here comes the flood

From The Australian

School hate mail as prayer dropped 

By Nicolas Perpitch
September 23, 2011

Under the act, public schools must not promote one set of

religious beliefs ahead of another. Source: Supplied

HATE mail sent to a Perth primary school after it decided to stop reciting the Lord's Prayer at assemblies has been condemned as cowardly and "un-Christian". 

Edgewater Primary School, in Perth's northern suburbs, dropped its 25-year old tradition of reading the Lord's Prayer at its fortnightly assemblies following concerns from some parents that it breached the Education Act.

Under the act, public schools must not promote one set of religious beliefs ahead of another.

As required by the Department of Education and Training's religious education policy, the school held several school council meetings to consult with the parents and the local community before making its decision.

It has been receiving abusive emails, letters and phone calls from around Australia since it sent a letter to parents on Monday informing them the prayer would no longer be read out.

Premier Colin Barnett said yesterday the hate mail was unacceptable.

"While I think most people would believe the Lord's Prayer is appropriate in a government school . . . there is no justification at all for hate mail to be sent to that primary school," Mr Barnett said.

Asked if it was un-Christian, Mr Barnett agreed.

Full Story:   http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/school-hate-mail-as-prayer-dropped/story-e6frgczx-1226144044387

Mixed messages

From the Perth Now website

Lord's Prayer rejected by Edgewater Primary School

September 20, 2011 3:34PM

OPPOSING VIEWS: Edgewater Primary School, where a decision to no longer recite the Lord's Prayer has caused controversy. Picture: Alf Sorbello Source: PerthNow

A WEST Australian government school has banned students from reciting the Lord's Prayer before assembly in response to complaints from parents.

Edgewater Primary School, in Perth's north, ended the 25-year practice after some parents said it contravened the WA Education Act, which stipulates schools cannot favour one religion over another.

Edgewater principal Julie Tombs sent a letter to parents yesterday saying the prayer would no longer be recited before each fortnightly assembly.

She said although most students' parents favoured the tradition, only 36 per cent responded to a survey asking for their views.

``We acknowledge that of the parents who did respond to the survey, many wanted to retain the Lord's Prayer and it is right that we continue to recite it at culturally appropriate times such as Christmas and Easter, as part of our educational program,'' Ms Tombs said in a statement.

Full story:   http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/lords-prayer-rejected-by-primary-school/story-e6frg15c-1226141916195


It's curious that this school headmistress decides to remove the prayer from school assembly, and yet, by her own admission, the school's "creed" contains a reference to a supernatural god. Perhaps it doesn't discern which supernatural god, but it still shows favouritism towards most religions, at the exclusion of those religions that do not have gods, or those who follow no religion at all.

There's nothing wrong with children who wish to indulge in religious practice at a public school in their own time, so long as their activity affects no-one else. It's just that the school should show or support no preference - it shouldn't be a school led activity.

One of reasons for having a separation of church and state is so that majority groups don't trample all over the rights of minorities. We can look forward to the day when the majority of Australians understand that.

The Separation of Bigotry And State

From The Sunshine Coast Daily

Support for Catch the Fire pastor

By Kathy Sundstrom
7th September 2011

PREACHING TO CONVERTED: Pastor Daniel Nalliah from

Catch the Fire ministries was on the Coast last weekend

seeking support for his Rise Up Australia Party.

 

THE controversial pastor who blamed the Victorian bushfires on abortion laws was on the Sunshine Coast last weekend to gather support for his new political party.

Danny Nalliah from Catch the Fire Ministries said "40-plus people" signed up for his Rise Up Australia Party at services he held in Coolum where he "ministered on Holy Spirit revival".

This gave him a sufficient boost to lodge the registration for the party next week.

"In the last two and a half months we have got in excess of 600 members so next week we will lodge the papers to register the party," he said.

Mr Nalliah also said three or four people indicated their willingness to stand as candidates in electorates on the Sunshine Coast.

Full Story:   http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2011/09/07/catch-the-fire-pastor-gains-party-support/

Moving the goalposts

Submitted by John

From The ABC News website

Schools to make the call on chaplains
By Jeremy Thompson
September 07, 2011

Photo: The $222 million program has been under fire since being

 announced in the budget. Jonathan Beal, file photo: ABC

Schools will be able to choose whether to employ chaplains or secular welfare officers under changes to the controversial chaplaincy program announced today.

The $222 million program has been under fire since being announced in the budget, with the Greens concerned that chaplains had to be attached to religious organisations and the scheme did not mandate minimum qualifications.

Now Education Minister Peter Garrett says schools will be given the option to choose a secular student welfare officer instead of a chaplain for student counselling.

He says minimum qualification standards will also be introduced, as well as improvements to the complaints management system.

Earlier this year the ABC raised concerns about the program, amid allegations that chaplains had been acting outside their guidelines and counselling children without being properly qualified to do so.

Full story:   http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-07/changes-to-chaplaincy-program/2874876

Our NZ friends have their own issues

Submitted by Max

From The NZ Herald

Blessings erode our secular bedrock
By Brian Rudman
Wednesday Sep 7, 2011
 
Brian Rudman writes that a proliferation of religious ceremonies in civic life is at odds with our democracy.

With the epidemic of blessings that has erupted as the rugby circus draws nigh, jet-lagged visitors could be forgiven for thinking the pilot had taken a wrong turning and landed in the Vatican Republic by mistake.

I wouldn't be surprised to hear that some enterprising entrepreneur had installed a coin-in-the slot blessing booth in the overseas arrivals terminal at Auckland Airport, royalties to the International Rugby Board, of course.

Yesterday morning it was blessings at dawn again. This time the target was Tourism New Zealand's gigantic, much-travelled blow-up rugby ball, all pumped and ready for action down on Queens Wharf.

At the weekend, the blessers were busy at the All Blacks' official welcome in Aotea Square, blessing the team's dinky little school cap-like head gear.


Full Story:   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10749834

Coastal versus valley schools

Submitted by Graham

From The Newcastle Herald

Ethics divide in Hunter classes
 
By Alison Branley
03 Sep, 2011

AN ideological divide has emerged in the Hunter, with coastal schools taking up new ethics classes and western schools favouring a school chaplain program.

Data shows that the 12 Hunter schools that offered new ethics classes this year are in coastal areas that stretch from Coal Point to Shoal Bay.

Ethics classes are an alternative to scripture classes already offered at the schools.

Upper house Christian Democrats MP Fred Nile tried last month to repeal the legislation allowing ethics classes in school.

Fifty-one Hunter schools are participating in the federal government’s School Chaplaincy Program.

The schools are in a mix of suburbs across the region but many are inland.

The school chaplaincy program has become the subject of a High Court challenge from a Queensland father who says it violates the constitution because it imposes a religious test as a requirement for a Commonwealth office.


Full Article:   http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/ethics-divide-in-hunter-classes/2279304.aspx


Note: Another story that regrettably blurs the lines between the NSCP and scripture class issues.