Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

The chaplaincy program was a program introduced by the previous government. It operates across both government and non-government schools. The evaluation that is the normal part of any government programs is not actually due until next year, so it would be somewhat premature for the government to undertake a review in this budgetary period. There is of course the chaplaincy issue; it is a matter that has been canvassed at some length at Senate estimates for some time. There are a range of reports on the effectiveness of the program. I know that at my own children’s school they are actually running the presentational ball. So they do meet a number of requirements within schools, not just providing counselling services that have been of a religious type. I understand it is a program that has in fact been oversubscribed within the school system to date.