Campaign to Stop Qld State Funding of School Chaplains

[DanDare]

Now that Campbel Newman has decided to make a big push for sacking workers to balance the budget isn't it a perfect time to suggest that school chaplain expenditure should be the first cost saving? Surely the chaplain budget is a greater waste of state funds than, say, rail workers?

How do we do a campaign to get vocal about this? Anyone know how much the state spends on this each year?

[rayne]

LINKY

99 schools in QLD have been allocated a total of $5,591,413.63 of the school chaplaincy funds so far.

How much funding has been made available?

Under the Program $165 million over three years has been made available for government and non-government schools to establish school chaplaincy services, or expand existing services. Government and non-government schools and their communities were able to apply for up to $20 000 per annum (and a maximum of $60 000 over the life of the Program) to establish school chaplaincy services or to enhance existing chaplaincy services. In August 2010, the Government committed $222 million over three years to extend services to the existing approximately 2 700 schools under the program as well as increase the service to up to 1 000 new schools from 2012 to 2014.

[BlueDevil]

Personally I just want to see money allocated for chaplaincy diverted into properly trained secular welfare workers. I don't think the money should be spent on new roads or whatever. The kids need and deserve access to appropriate counselling services when required.

[rayne]

I'd like to think that the people studying for 4+ years to be guidance counsellors and welfare workers are actually going to find work instead of having their potential workplaces overrun by people with no training.

[DanDare]

Its pointless telling Newman to reallocate the money. He is cost cutting. Ok, fine, cut the state funding of chaplains. Hey presto cost cutting. No harm.

[GotQuestions]

Originally Posted by DanDare

Its pointless telling Newman to reallocate the money. He is cost cutting. Ok, fine, cut the state funding of chaplains. Hey presto cost cutting. No harm.

This is my view. But watch the ACL get all antsy about losing their access to young and impressionable minds if it happens, which I highly doubt as all the pollies care for is votes.

[AndyP]

I was just looking at some rough costs of advertising. A 1000 A4 pamphlets delivered costs about $180. If the AFA was keen to organise something (sorry, I dont have the skills or talent) I would sponsor 1000 pamphlets.

[wearestardust]

I was unaware that Qld or indeed any state had its own chaplaincy-in-schools program in parallel to the Commonwealth one. How much does Qld spend? (Rayne's linky is about the Commonweatlh program and is not Qld govt $).

[jlo]

One of the local federal members of the LNP, Tim Manders, has a Scripture Union background. They were quite involved in the court case as I understand.. Know some people whose kids attend various schools in his electorate - public & private. Message is always the same .. VERY religious. I think a small minority have gotten their fingers into a few pies if you will... Glad I don't live there!
In fact, they've had to OPT OUT, rather than IN for RE. Which, as I've learned since joining this forum, is actually against the law.. Not IMHO unlike the decision to ignore the high court decision!! So, making noise is bound to go a long way with current representation
But, I'm sure he's a nice guy..

What was it that Gil Scott Heron said? "Straight teeth in your mouth are more important than the words that come out of it."

[DanDare]

I've crossed swords with Tim Mander a few times. Here is some of his drivel

The school chaplaincy program has become the subject of dire pronouncements of "religion being forced on our schools" and now a High Court challenge that began this week.


It's surprising that this relatively benign decision — to allow school communities the option to receive federal funding for a chaplain – is so controversial, considering chaplaincy has existed within many spheres of Australian society for years.


During recent disasters, such as bushfires, floods and cyclones, chaplains were well accepted as providers of an important role in the multi-faceted community response. Chaplains have also proved valuable in more than just disaster response. For example, the "Salvos" embody the pastoral care and spiritual support that typifies the role, and have been a much-loved part of the Australian landscape for decades.


Similarly, chaplaincy in schools is not new, having started in some states more than 50 years ago, and chaplains have long been in the emergency services, hospitals, the defence forces, and even professional sporting teams.

From Online Opinion

Oh and I wrote a rebuttal, or a bypass perhaps is a better term.

Secularism is good for you


Tim Mander (On Line Opinion, July 17, 2009), in responding to an article by Hugh Wilson on religious influence on public education in Queensland, put forward a couple of arguments that don't fly.
To begin with he put forward that secularism is defined by the first line of definition in the Macquarie Dictionary. To wit: that which “refuses to accept all forms of religious faith and worship”. There may be some who operate under that definition of secularism, but I believe the majority of supporters of secularism would agree with the second line in the definition "the view that public education and other matters of civil policy should be conducted without the introduction of a religious element". Well we could play dictionary wars ad nauseam. Instead I will provide to you, earnest and thoughtful reader, my understanding of what secularism is and why we should all want it, even the religious.


Second, Tim put forward the idea that religious incursion into public school is really only a minor matter. "Perhaps" he suggests "anyone who is worried should ask students and find out how many of them think that Queensland state schools are dominantly religious environments." Of course that is not our concern. Our concern is that our children are being indoctrinated into somebody else's idea of the nature of reality and the moral codes that flow from it. I will return to this a little later.