Playing with stats

Submitted by Graham

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

Just change the name... she'll be right, mate !

Submitted by Ralph

From the  Secular Public Education Lobby

Why Julia Gillard's born-again NSCP is a shameful sham


Saturday, 19th November, 2011

Video narrated by Ron Williams

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

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

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.

"The greatest engine of tyranny..."

Submitted by Max

From The Canberra Times

Missed opportunity to debate school chaplain 'religious test'
By Anna Verney
15 Aug, 2011 04:00 AM
 
It was a busy time at the High Court of Australia last week. On Monday, the court extended an injunction staying the removal of asylum-seekers from Christmas Island to Malaysia under the ‘‘Australia-Malaysia Deal’’. In the course of a hearing accompanied by high drama, Justice Hayne chided the Commonwealth for the ‘‘unsatisfactory’’ and ‘‘half-baked fashion’’ with which it approached the proceedings, only filing its affidavit with the court an hour into the two-hour hearing. The same ill preparedness was not demonstrated by the Commonwealth in the hearing of Williams v the Commonwealth commencing the next day before the full bench of the court.

That case involves a legal challenge to the Commonwealth’s $222 million National School Chaplaincy Program, under which the government funds school chaplains to provide students of both private and government schools with pastoral care, counselling, ‘‘spiritual guidance’’ and oversight of their ‘‘spiritual wellbeing’’. The controversial program, criticised extensively in a recent Ombudsman’s report, is established by policy guidelines beset by what Justice Gummow termed acerbically on the first day of the hearing as ‘‘somewhat loose expressions which have never been subject to legislative scrutiny and any attempt at legislative precision’’ and ‘‘the sort of stuff [that] would never get through parliamentary counsel’’.

The arguments before the court this week were foremost concerned with the confines of the Commonwealth’s constitutional legislative power with respect to providing ‘‘benefits to students’’, and, secondly, limitations upon the executive’s power to spend appropriated monies without supporting legislation. Given their invested interest in containing the reach of the Commonwealth’s financial tentacles into their governmental purview, each state was represented at the bar table.


Full story:   http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/opinion/editorial/general/missed-opportunity-to-debate-school-chaplain-religious-test/2258330.aspx?storypage=0

High Court Challenge – The Hearing Begins

If you'd like to learn more about the recent proceedings of Ron Williams' High Court challenge, then pop over to Chrys Stevenson's blog for a wonderful report.

Census Time, and High Court fun

From The Age / National Times

Faith tested in the Commonwealth
 By Dick Gross
August 8, 2011

Opinion

This week the role of our beliefs or lack thereof takes centre stage nationally by way of the Census and the High Court.

CENSUS NIGHT

It was a census that led Jesus to be born in a stable and our own is upon us tomorrow. The Atheist Foundation of Australia has been working hard to make sure that we get good data on the number of believers and atheists.
Advertisement: Story continues below

In one sense it is an impossible question to answer for many atheists hark back to some relic of their upbringing when we think about this question and so we might be half-pregnant atheists. What do you call yourself if you don't believe in God but observe some vestigial religious rites and really don't care either way? You could quite truthfully tick any box. Faith is not the open-and-shut question it once was. The Foundation is keen for those who are nominally religious but actually godless to mark ''No Religion'' at the bottom of question 19. It has been a clever campaign.

This is the first time I will be marking ''No Religion'' because in the past I ticked other and described myself as a ''Jewish atheist'' or ''secular Jew'' for that is what seemed to describe me best. I have been persuaded by the Foundation's campaign so I will be a ''No'' person. I will list my cultural background in the question before, question 18.

Putting aside these subtle questions of the nature of belief, the Foundation has been concerned to make sure that people at least do not play funny buggers. There was a stage where it was considered hilarious to insert something like ''Jedi Knight'' as your object of worship. I don't see the humour in that at all but maybe I am just a killjoy.

Full article:   http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/blogs/godless-gross/faith-tested-in-the-commonwealth-20110805-1iept.html

Opinion piece

Submitted by Graham

From The Sydney Morning Herald

A confident secularist society would tolerate school religion
By Brendan O'Neill 
July 28, 2011

Opinion

"Were we 'indoctrinated', turned into Catholic drones? Were we hell."

Photo: Michele Mossop 

Can a half-hour chat about God really warp children's minds? Listening to Australia's increasingly irate secularists, you could be forgiven for thinking so.

They have upped the ante in their war against ''special religious instruction'' in public schools, depicting it as the modern-day equivalent of a Christian crusade arriving on horseback to convert young Aussies to a lifetime of Bible-bashing.

It's worth reminding ourselves that special religious instruction, where church volunteers teach children about religion, doesn't take place in all public primary schools. And in those schools where it does, it only takes up half an hour a week - far less time than the average kid spends pretending to kill people in video games or being preached to by SpongeBob SquarePants.

Even the most fervent nun or red-eyed pastor would struggle to indoctrinate children in such time-restricted weekly hook-ups.

That is the word most commonly used by secularists opposed to special religious instruction: indoctrination. They believe, as a Sunday Age report summed it up, that these lessons are ''designed to convert, not educate''.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman demanded this week that the federal government clarify when a chaplain crosses the line, from teaching kids about Christianity to trying to convert them to it.

Full Article:   http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/a-confident-secularist-society-would-tolerate-school-religion-20110727-1i04k.html 

Regrettably, this is yet another piece that blurs the lines between the issues of the NSCP and scripture classes in state schools.

Surprising allies speak up

Submitted by Graham

From The Sydney Morning Herald

Labor states weigh in on chaplaincy stoush
By Dan Harrison 
July 26, 2011

THE Labor states of Queensland and South Australia have intervened in a High Court challenge to the national school chaplaincy program, challenging the Commonwealth's argument that its power to make laws for corporations supports the controversial program.

But both states say another part of the constitution, which gives the federal government power to provide ''benefits to students'', allows the Commonwealth to fund school chaplains.

Queensland and South Australia also challenge the argument by Ron Williams, the Queensland father who launched the case, that the chaplaincy program breaches a clause in the constitution that forbids any religious test for an office under the Commonwealth.
 
NSW, Victoria and Western Australia have intervened in support of Mr Williams, arguing the program exceeds the Commonwealth's powers. The case will be heard in Canberra next month. 

 Legal observers see the case as a test of the ability of the federal government to use its financial muscle to bypass the states and directly fund programs in areas that have been considered state responsibilities.

Full Story:   http://www.smh.com.au/national/labor-states-weigh-in-on-chaplaincy-stoush-20110725-1hx54.html

Other states come to the party

Submitted by Graham

From The Sydney Morning Herald

Chaplaincy fight tests nationhood powers 
By Dan Harrison 
July 21, 2011

NSW has joined a Queensland father in challenging the constitutional validity of the controversial national school chaplaincy program, arguing the scheme exceeds the federal government's powers.

Victoria and Western Australia are also intervening in the case, brought by parent Ron Williams, which will be heard in the High Court next month.

In 2009, the High Court went close to striking down the Rudd government's $900 stimulus payment on similar grounds. While a narrow majority ruled the payments were legal, the case established the principle that the Commonwealth can spend money only where it has legislative or executive power. The legitimacy of the payments depended upon an implied ''nationhood'' power that allows the federal government to act outside the areas for which it has been expressly granted power in order to engage in activities that could otherwise not be carried out for the benefit of the nation. This power supported the payments as part of a national response to the global financial crisis.

Full Story:   http://www.smh.com.au/national/chaplaincy-fight-tests-nationhood-powers-20110720-1hoyn.html#ixzz1SiEYnCkp

Government defends NSCP

Submitted by Max 

From The Age 

Canberra defends chaplains scheme 
By Dan Harrison 
July 14, 2011

THE federal government has set out its defence of the controversial national school chaplaincy program, telling the High Court the program is within the Commonwealth's executive power and does not breach a constitutional provision relating to religious freedom.

The constitutional validity of the program, which was set up by the Howard government and extended by Labor, is under challenge by Queensland father Ron Williams, whose case against the program will be heard in the High Court next month.

Full Story:   http://www.theage.com.au/national/canberra-defends-chaplains-scheme-20110713-1he14.html

The challenge with chaplains

Submitted by Graham

From The Sydney Morning Herald 

God's dollar better spent on welfare 

By Adele Horin 
July 9, 2011
Opinion

 Illustration: Simon Bosch 

  

It's not just a bunch of atheists and self-interested psychologists who are worried about the school chaplaincy program. The head of the Anglican Education Commission in Sydney, Bryan Cowling, has also cast doubt on the role of school chaplains in government schools, in part because they don't "need to have any particular credentials".

His comments last week add to the concerns about an ill-thought out program that was implemented after a rush of blood to John Howard's head.

No one asked principals or teachers what they needed to deal with increasing problems of depression, anxiety, disruptive behaviour, bullying and self-harm among students. No one evaluated what worked and didn't work in schools, or where the gaps were in providing for student welfare. Principals got steamrolled. It was a chaplain or nothing

Full Story:   http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/gods-dollar-better-spent-on-welfare-20110708-1h6ma.html#ixzz1RYNOmUUZ

Fruitful ? Or just talking past each other ?

Submitted by Graham - Please note that this article is from 2008

When two worlds collide: threat of class warfare over faith-based schooling

By John Kaye and Stephen O'Doherty 
June 2, 2008

The debate about 'values based' education is hotting up. John Kaye and Stephen O'Doherty outline the opposing positions on the role of religion in schools.
 
JOHN KAYE Greens NSW MP and education spokesman: Alarm bells start sounding when young people leave school confused about the boundaries between faith and evidence. They get even louder when the penny drops on the massive state and federal funding that supports the growth of schools that systematically mislead their students. And they reach a crescendo when governments are caught accepting the distortion of education in faith-based private schools.

The growing phenomenon of faith-based institutions needs to be carefully separated from common or garden variety religious private schools. No clear academic definition exists in the literature but in the Australian context it is the schools where reasoning based on testing hypothesis against evidence is subjugated to religious faith. It is the same schools where free inquiry is constrained and critical thinking is confined within the boundaries of religious dogma.

Full Story:   http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/when-two-worlds-collide-threat-of-class-warfare-over-faithbasedschooling/2008/06/01/1212258647635.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

A refreshingly reasoned view

Submitted by Graham

From The Sydney Morning Herald

Anglican Church queries school chaplain program 
By Leesha Mckenny and Dan Harrison 
July 2, 2011

"The best response would be to put more money into more counsellors."

Bryan Cowling, Anglican Diocese of Sydney Photo: Michele Mossop

THE legitimate place of religion in NSW government schools might be put at risk by the misuse of the National School Chaplaincy Program, the head of Sydney's Anglican Education Commission has warned.

Bryan Cowling, the executive director of the peak body for the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, said well-established special religious education preserved the secularism of NSW schools while providing weekly faith instruction for those who wanted it.

But he told the Herald that chaplains - with the term's religious connotations - might blur the distinction between faith and welfare, increasing the chance of misuse by proselytising, which might call into question access granted to schools for special religious education, also known as scripture.

Full story:   http://www.smh.com.au/national/anglican-church-queries-school-chaplain-program-20110701-1gv6l.html

Thoughts of an atheist

From ABC Religion and Ethics

Soothsaying in schools? Reflections on the SRI debate 
By Tamas Pataki
1st Jun 2011

There is currently a good deal of public controversy about chaplaincy and the teaching of religion in government schools. Both activities seem to me to be bad public policy, but some of the most fundamental reasons for resisting the current arrangements have not - so far as I'm aware - been made explicit. 

A good teacher does not ask pupils to believe, or help their unbelief;

a good teacher asks them to reason, to think clearly about matters at

hand and to find good reasons for holding their conclusions 

Tamas Pataki is honorary senior fellow at the University of Melbourne and honorary fellow of Deakin University.  

Full story:   http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2011/06/01/3232609.htm?topic1&topic2 

A considered opinion piece... with some interesting comments following the article, too. Well worth a read.

Professor of Law weighs in on NSCP

Submitted by Graham

From The Sydney Morning Herald

Chaplaincy challenge reveals legal failure 
By Prof George Williams, UNSW
May 24, 2011

The national school chaplaincy program will soon come under a new line of attack. Despite the Gillard government's $222 million expansion of the program in the budget, the scheme may yet be struck down as unconstitutional by the High Court, which this month gave the go-ahead for a challenge to be heard in August.

Australia's constitution does not separate church and state. The closest it comes is in section 116, which says the Commonwealth cannot make any law for ''establishing any religion'', ''imposing any religious observance'' or ''prohibiting the free exercise of any religion''.

That section also says ''no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth''. A Queensland parent, Ron Williams, is relying on this in mounting his challenge. He argues the program is invalid because it sets a religious test for anyone who wishes to be a Commonwealth-funded chaplain.

Full Story:   http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/chaplaincy-challenge-reveals-legal-failure-20110523-1f0qe.html

Carr Revs Up

from ABC News

Carr urges Gillard to scrap chaplain funding
By Michael Edwards
Updated Sat May 14, 2011 11:57am AEST
 

Former New South Wales premier Bob Carr has called on the Prime Minister to cancel funding for the schools chaplaincy program.

A religious group which provides chaplains to Victorian schools has been accused of trying to convert students during religious classes.

Its chief executive has been recorded telling a group of evangelical Anglicans to make the most of the school access and "go and make disciples" of students.

Access Ministries has denied the allegations, but the claims have sparked debate about whether the Federal Government has a role in funding religious education.

Mr Carr is well known for his interest in political and constitutional matters and is a firm believer in the principle of the separation of church and state.

Full Story: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/14/3216888.htm 


Audio:  http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/audio/am/201105/20110514-am04-school-chaplains.mp3

ABC's Background Briefing

Submitted by Graham

from ABC Radio National

Church and state
By Hagar Cohen
10 April 2011 

Concerns were raised when federal funding for chaplains in schools was introduced. Now some parents have evidence evangelism has seeped into the secular public school system. Others are staunch supporters. The controversy is now headed for the High Court. Photograph by Andrew Turner.

This program contains reports on various instances of complaints against the NSCP, and I highly recommend listening to the entire program (49 minutes).

Site and comments: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/backgroundbriefing/stories/2011/3183516.htm

Download Audio (22.5Mb.. Right click, Save As): http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2011/04/bbg_20110410.mp3

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Submitted by Gary - lead-up story

from ABC News 

Chaplains accused of pushing religion in schools

By Hagar Cohen for Background Briefing
Updated Fri Apr 8, 2011 10:54am AEST

Some parents say they have evidence the federally-funded National School Chaplaincy program is being used to push religion to public school students.

The controversy is now headed for the High Court, and there is also a Federal Government review and an ombudsman's investigation.

In 2007 the Howard government introduced federal funding for chaplains to work in schools, with the proviso they were not to evangelise or proselytise.

But the New South Wales Parents and Citizens Association says there is evidence chaplains are proselytising in public schools and students are being encouraged to join religious activities and prayer meetings.

Council of State School Organisations NSW president Helen Walton says her association is receiving more and more information about proselytising incidences.

Full story:   http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/08/3185850.htm