Since, on occasion, we’re accused of bias – shout out to our regular commenters who tell us we’re shit, your hard work ensures we #stayhumble – I may as well be honest. So, full disclosure: I think that of all the organisations that we could reasonably say need a leg-up, religious denominations do not rate high on the list.
The program, which has been around since 2007 and claims to be a conduit for “support and guidance about ethics, values, relationships and spirituality” feeding directly to the youth of Australia, has no time for those without “religious qualifications or endorsements by a recognised or accepted religious institution.”
Sure, you don’t want just anyone breezing into schools with a briefcase and a note written in crayon saying ‘I’m a chaplain. Honest.’ But the people we’re talking about here are a small minority – 0.01%, actually – and are legitimate psychologists, social workers or welfare officers; professionals who the schools themselves have identified a need for.
Martin Grigg who is CEO of Onpsych, one of the companies who train the social workers and psychologists to work in schools, is working to find a way around this bullshit. He hopes they will still be able to find support from the individual schools they work with: “We will need to see references and CVs but given all that, we hope that we can find a religious institution that will back us and back those workers and give the schools the choices I think they need.”
When asked for comment by the ABC whether secular professional could keep working should they gain the support of a religious organisation, a spokesman for Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education Senator Scott Ryan reiterated that a chaplain:
. Is recognised by the school community and the appropriate governing authority for the school as having the skills and experience to deliver school chaplaincy to the school community,
. Is recognised through formal ordination, commissioning, recognised religious qualifications or endorsement by a recognised or accepted religious institution,
. Meets the NSCP’s minimum qualification requirements.
Yes, by definition a ‘chaplain’ is religious but, as Martin went on to say, “Many of the schools which are established around their religion are using the chaplaincy to work with psychologists and social workers because they believed that the religious side of their education program was very well catered for and they didn’t need any additional support.”
Realistically, if kids are looking for spiritual guidance they’re always going to be able to find it. Going into a temple, church or mosque don’t cost a thing. A kid having access to a qualified psychologist? Less likely.
But sure, take away the 0.01% of them who are currently working with Aussie school children, that’s a productive thing for our government to do.
