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That amount1 is staggering even before you take into account that it’s money spent based on nothing more than the whim of deeply religious politicians and the gleeful rubbing of palms from self interested religious organisations. There has been no pilot study for this program. No detailed review from independent or qualified stakeholders. Contrast this situation with that of the Secular Ethics trial.
The National Chaplaincy Program grew out of state initiatives, some operating for almost 50 years2 but there does not seem to be any evidence beyond anecdote, or religious belief, that Chaplaincy is a positive influence or indeed the best type of influence. We should be aiming as a society to offer the best for our children, not just what seems to be good for them(heavily influenced by personal bias).
To even call it a program is, I think to mischaracterise it. It’s not a set syllabus being rolled out to every public school. A school might on the one hand get a homophobic bigot who believes in a literal gospel another a liberal, tolerant science accepting and qualified counsellor (even if that’s not what they are supposed to do wink-wink, nudge-nudge).
What could have been bought with that money? Leslie Cannold informs us:
In a world of scarce resources, money spent on chaplains is money that could have brought-wait for it-around 5000 qualified counselors into our schools.
[Source]
It’s a blatant attempt by certain religious groups in Australia to maintain religious privilege, the intent may be entirely good natured with the religious holding the firm conviction that a little bit of religion makes the school a better place, but firm conviction and good intent is not enough when talking about the lives of our children.
1. Cannold, L., The National School Chaplaincy Program Is an Accident Waiting to Happen, 15 August 2010
2. Koutsoukis, J., Howard backs school chaplain bid,June 18, 2006
This Ad appeared as part of a segment on Gruen Nation. Take a gander
I can only remember seeing one Greens Ad this election and as with many of the panellists I agree that this one is better. One of the panellists joked that the Republic of Everyone (the guest as agency) would be receiving a call from the greens tomorrow .
Considering the farce that this election has become it comes as no surprise to me that it’s exactly what happened.
Greens spokeswoman Ebony Bennett confirmed The Greens contacted the ABC and Republic of Everyone over the possibility of using the ad, but the ABC would not allow the clip to be used during the election.
[Source]
The ABC declined to let the Greens use the ad. as they wanted to remain impartial.
 I mentioned previously that Scribe was releasing the Australian Book of Atheism in December as an anti Christmas book. Well if you want to get in early and take out a pre-order check out Embiggen books.
Feeling decidedly under the weather at the moment – check my twitter feed for the gruesome details. So I offer you some of the chatter that’s been generated by the slap to the face of youth mental health that is the $222 million expansion of the Chaplaincy program.
First up we have an entertaining rant from John Birmingham in the National Times:
Two hundred and twenty million dollars would be an impressive chunk of change, even in the huge amount of dough carved out of the federal tax take for education.
Much less impressive however is Julia Gillard is wasting that much on a naked and sadly desperate bribe for the god-bothering lobby.
We’ve all read the words ”chronic”, ”underfunding” and ”state school system” placed one after the other so many times now that I hesitate to do so again, lest your eyes roll back in your heads, your brain functions flatline and you all start thinking of Wendy Francis as a reasonable choice for your upper house vote.
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[John Birmingham, Who will rid me of turbulent god-botherers? Not our first atheist PM, August 10, 2010 - 1:10PM]
The Atheist Foundation of Australia have also issued media release:
Atheist Foundation of Australia president David Nicholls today expressed deep concern over Prime Minister Gillard’s announcement over the weekend to increase funding to school chaplains by $222 million.
In a submission to the public consultation process about the National School Chaplaincy Program, the Australian psychological Society (APS) raised concerns about the credentials of many Chaplains providing counselling services as part of the Chaplaincy program in Australian schools.
In their submission they state that the ‘government is supporting a scheme which allows unregistered and unqualified school chaplains to work outside their boundaries as spiritual and religious personnel’[1] and point out that there is clear evidence that school chaplains are engaging in duties for which they are not qualified.
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[AFA Media Release: God’s Good News is Bad-News for Students, Release Date: Monday, August 9, 2010]
An excellent letter from statereligionvic to the president of the Victorian Principal’s Association
Dear Ms. Leigh & VPA Board:
I write to you to share an alarming development and ask for your support.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Gillard, as part of her election campaign, announced the renewal and expansion of a program referred to as “Chaplaincy”. One of the prime rationales given for this program is that it has the support of school principals. This announcement comes immediately following a meeting that Gillard held with the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) where she was told of the priority ACL placed on this especially in the contested state of QLD.
The Chaplaincy program is a priority of the ACL because it is the main source of funding for para church ministries that are aligned with its political agenda. In QLD for instance, the Commonwealth spent 33M dollars on Chaplains in state schools, most of these are employed by the “Scripture Union” organization (SU) and are present in 80% of the schools. In VIC Access Ministry has chaplains in 70% of the state schools.
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[Letter to Victorian Principal's Association, August 9, 2010]
Feel free to add any more links in the comments below.
Christian readers, are you as outraged as I am at the lack of proper youth mental health services? Could not this money be better spent on professional counsellors -who can be of any faith or none?
I had hoped that with the Coalition being kicked out of office at the lat election we may have seen the end of pandering to the Christian right (and indeed the demonization of asylum seekers). I had been given reason to think that the discriminatory Chaplaincy program would be reviewed with a view to determining whether or not it had any value, or indeed if there were better programs for children’s mental wellbeing in Australia’s state school students.
Where did I develop this misunderstanding – maybe here:
Education Minister Julia Gillard’s office has confirmed the $90 million program will be changed into a secular scheme when current contracts expire.
“Any funds allocated, we will deliver,” her spokeswoman said.
“After that point it will be reviewed and obviously we are looking at expanding it.”
Under the scheme, government and non-government schools can get up to $20,000 a year to employ a person with a religious background.
Introducing the scheme last year, Mr Howard said Australians yearned for greater spiritual guidance, and the program would be warmly welcomed.
[source: Ben Packham, Herald Sun January 14, 2008 12:00AM]
So has there been a review?
Not as far as I am aware. Not if you don’t count the embarrassing excuse for a review (a video link to the humorous gutting of the study the government uses) that is lauded by politicians and proselytizers alike, as the evidence on which to promote this farce of a program. No, Labor it seems are so desperate for any votes they can screw out of Christians that they intend to expand the program.
JULIA Gillard will intensify her pitch to Christian voters with a major expansion of the school chaplaincy program.
Despite identifying herself as an atheist, Ms Gillard has been working hard to court the powerful Christian lobby.
It comes amid concern that Labor’s standing among religious voters has slumped following the overthrow of church-going prime minister Kevin Rudd.
Ms Gillard will today announce an allocation of $222 million to boost the number of chaplains in schools by more than one-third, which would mean about 3700 schools will be covered under the voluntary scheme introduced by the Howard government.
…
Ms Gillard said that while the chaplaincy program had been beneficial, schools in rural, remote and disadvantaged locations had been missing out.
”Chaplains can help build the sense of community in the school, support the school ethos and provide additional support for vulnerable children,” she said.
[Source: JOSH GORDON, SMH, August 08, 2010 ]
Here’s the rub
In a time when we are supposed to be tightening our belts after the big spend that kept us out of the GFC the government is expanding a program :
- that has not been properly reviewed
- that cements Christian privilege
- that has not been shown to be beneficial
- that discriminates on the basis of religion(in employment)
- that is infested with evangelical churches/organisations
- that serves as a vehicle for proselytizers despite regulations to the contrary
- that experts have loudly criticised
- whose employees are largely unqualified(up to 97%) to deal with the problems they face
What can you do?
Well apart from voting for some minor parties like the Greens, The Secular Party or The Australian Sex Party you might consider helping fund the high court challenge against the program.
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