David Fawcett (Wakefield, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Education, Science and Training. Would the minister update the House on what the government is doing to ensure that students have access to chaplains in schools throughout Australia?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wakefield for his question. I acknowledge his interest in this matter and I recognise his role and that of the member for Flinders, the member for Greenway, the member for Bowman and other government members in supporting an announcement that the Prime Minister was able to make yesterday. The Australian government has announced a new initiative to establish chaplaincy programs in schools across Australia. Schools will be able to access funding to establish chaplain positions to provide greater pastoral care and support for the spiritual wellbeing of students. Currently, a number of schools in a number of states have chaplaincy services and the school chaplains are making a very valuable contribution to those school communities. But this is only available in some states.

The Australian government is determined to ensure that all schools, government and non-government, in all states are able to have access to chaplaincy services if that is what they choose to do, and we have provided funding of some $90 million over three years to support this program. The program will be voluntary in that schools will be able to choose whether they wish to take part. We would expect that schools will consult widely with their broader school communities and they will make the decision as to who would fill a chaplaincy role.

At present, the chaplaincy service is available in a number of states. I will be writing to all state and territory education ministers to ask for their support and we will be developing national guidelines that will be available by the end of the year. Regrettably, the New South Wales government has banned the establishment of chaplain positions in New South Wales government schools. I acknowledge the broad support from the member for Jagajaga for this proposal and I would ask that she join with me in calling on the Iemma government to lift its ban on the establishment of chaplaincy positions in government schools. We want to ensure that all schools across Australia in all states have the choice and the opportunity to engage chaplaincy services if they wish to do so.