Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the National School Chaplaincy Program motion moved by the member for Canning. As we know, the program began under the Liberal government in October 2007 and was funded for three years until late 2010. In Western Australia, this program is implemented through Youth Care, who provide pastoral care, Christian religious education, personal and professional development staff and volunteers and, most importantly, put chaplains in schools where they are needed. In my electorate of Forrest, 34 schools have Youth Care chaplains servicing around 12,826 students and over 5,000 families. The NSCP provides assistance not only to schools but also to their communities. It has been estimated that the chaplaincy service in Collie, a town in my electorate, is supporting 50 to 70 per cent of the community.

Recently two schools, Wilson Park in Collie and Busselton Senior High School, have been the target of arson and vandalism. In these circumstances, the chaplaincy program is a necessity to provide care and comfort to the students, teachers and parents. One school chaplain in my electorate named Adrianne has said:

I see anything from 4 to 10 students per day for a range of issues - mostly to do with family relationships, peer problems and behaviour management. Sometimes, I see pairs or small groups of students for mediation and often have a quiet smile on my face because kids will bring a friend when they think that friend needs some help.

Adrianne also shared a story that I will share:

A bright, attractive girl usually wearing a very big smile, Rebecca was given 2 minutes by the staff member to speak to me. After a brief chat, it quickly became clear that Rebecca was going to need more than a few minutes. I rescheduled her for the afternoon and spent an hour just chatting with her fairly informally. She disclosed that she was feeling sad all the time and was cutting herself on a regular basis. Rebecca has become a regular for me and as our relationship has developed, she has opened up even more, revealing some serious issues in her background. The good news is that I have been able to refer her to our School Psychologist and we are now working as a team in this case. Rebecca came to see me recently and very excitedly told me she hadn’t cut herself for over 2 weeks. She said she was feeling happier in general but of course we will continue to keep her engaged.

A principal from one of the schools in my electorate who is part of the NSCP also shared a story:

The parent of a student passed away suddenly in the most unfortunate circumstance. The young family was traumatised by the passing and got through with the support of family and friends until the funeral. However after this time the family went into an emotional decline. After the schools response plan was initiated the chaplain was able to:

Approach the child at the school and establish a friendly rapport as a significant adult confidante

Establish a safe place for the student to run when grief issues arose during the day - and where they could talk and compose

Arrange for counselling for the child in school and for the remaining family adults out of school

Support the children in line with advice from these counsellors including liaising with teachers by offering advice

Help the family adult approach Centrelink for system support - a real issue here

Arrange for a meal roster with other families and

Arrange for the children to attend a local youth group one evening per week.

The family are travelling as well as could be expected but the child has been present each day since intervention and is keeping up with their school work.

As you can see, the National School Chaplaincy Program recognises that schools play a key role in providing support and assistance for all students as they cope with the challenges and stresses of life.

I recently met and discussed the significant impact chaplains are making with the NSCP Convenor and Youth Care executive officers. Chaplains are particularly significant in regional and isolated areas, including in towns in my electorate, where chaplains are more likely to be living in the local community and are able to bring support within the school for community projects. A recent study found that approximately 53 per cent of chaplains are under the age of 30, meaning they are often more in touch with the issues and pressures facing students. To have access to a safe service that offers guidance and support for students is of immeasurable assistance.

Youth Care has requested an increase in funding from $165 million to $300 million for the program to provide for two days of chaplaincy per school per year throughout Australian schools. I strongly support Youth Care and their request for an increase in funding for the National School Chaplaincy Program and urge the government to continue funding this program past 2010. The Collie Rotary Club places such importance on the chaplaincy program that we conduct that I assisted them with a ‘sleeping out with the homeless program’ to assist in funding the chaplaincy program in schools in Collie. That is the value that the local rotary club and community place on this particular program.

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