Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Energy and Resources) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak today about the increasingly vital role that school chaplains play in schools across Australia. The program was the coalition’s initiative, fostered by the wide support of local communities. This support has seen the National School Chaplaincy Program become a fundamental service in many Australian schools. Chaplains offer students support, advice and guidance across a raft of issues and in many cases they fill a void. But the highly successful program is in jeopardy, with funding set to run out. Existing contracts end next year and there has been no commitment by the Rudd government to extend the program. We have had that largely confirmed tonight.

I welcomed the coalition’s initial investment of $90 million to ensure that any Australian school that wanted a chaplain got one. That was $20,000 to every school. In fact, the program was so popular that $165 million was put into it. The success of the program speaks for itself. Since 2007, the number of school chaplains in Western Australia has tripled. The Rudd government must recognise that there are other means of nurturing students’ wellbeing. There is nothing wrong with values based education. Chaplains are men and women who come from a trained background and bring a strong value into often complicated lives.

Schools back the program. It has been hugely successful in supporting not only students but teachers and the wider school community. I recently met with Stanley Jeyaraj, National School Chaplaincy Association convenor and Chief Executive Officer of YouthCARE, who could not speak highly enough about the results the program is delivering throughout the country. In Western Australia alone, more than 80,000 students have access to a chaplain and in 2008 more than 80,000 pastoral care appointments were made with YouthCARE chaplains.

A report recently released by Edith Cowan University and the University of New England confirmed that the government should re-fund the program for at least another three years because ‘chaplains provide better pastoral care, support and guidance than school based staff’. A survey of 688 principals cannot be wrong. The study found that behaviour management, bullying, peer relationships, family relationships and self-esteem issues accounted for up to 90 per cent of the chaplains’ work. More than half also reported dealing with drug and alcohol abuse and mental health issues. Without chaplaincy there are limited resources to address these social issues.

The flow-on effect this outlet has had on communities must be acknowledged. Youth unemployment and antisocial behaviour are among society’s top-ranking issues and the levels of youth depression are concerning. The impact a support base in school could have on curbing these problems cannot be underestimated. As a former school teacher, I have seen firsthand that the earliest years of life have important implications for a child’s future. School communities are looking for support and certainty from the government on this issue. They have called for an investment of $300 million over three years. They also want to see criteria expanded to allow more schools to access the funding.

More than 4,000 Canning families have access to a school chaplain, with 19 Canning schools having YouthCARE chaplains. A number of local schools secured funding under the program, including Serpentine Jarrahdale Grammar School, Carey Baptist College, Westfield Park Primary School, Kelmscott Primary School, Kelmscott Senior High School—and students from that school are here in Canberra today—Roleystone District High School, Halls Head Primary School and Armadale Senior High School. I recently met with Armadale Senior High School Principal Mary Griffiths and heard about the positive influence that chaplain David Karcheski has on the students. He is well respected, and students are comfortable speaking with someone outside the facility.

At the Kelmscott Show this weekend I met Glenda Morgan, the school chaplain at Neerigen Brook Primary School, who loves her job. Glenda was appointed when the program commenced two years ago and she was telling me about the huge success the program is at the school. The additional emphasis the school places on pastoral care really ties in with her work. Glenda is paid two days a week under the program, but the school stumps up the extra money itself. Obviously her job will be under threat next year if it cannot be funded. She is fortunate that the school finds a way to pay for the additional two days that she does a week.

Also at the show, it was great to see volunteers from the Anglican St Mary-in-the-Valley, Kelmscott Parish, manning a stall selling crafts, cakes and jams all to raise money for chaplaincy. These volunteers are to be commended on donating their time and effort to raise money to keep chaplains where they are needed—in the schools. If government funding is not continued, it will take some very successful cake stalls to raise the sums of money needed to keep chaplains in the schools.

I commend this program. Pinjarra Senior High School in my electorate recently wrote to the Prime Minister, calling on him to find ongoing funding for the program. I do not have time to read out the letter from Beth Aitkin, the principal, but she certainly endorses this program. It really does make a great deal of difference to students, and $300 million is a small price for huge benefits. (Time expired)

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