Stop the National Schools Chaplaincy Program!

His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC
Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
Government House
Dunrossil Drive
YARRALUMLA ACT 2600

Dear General Jeffery

I read with interest your address on the occasion of officially launching the Goondiwindi School Chaplaincy Program at the Goondiwindi Cultural Centre QLD 23 April 2007.

The National Schools Chaplaincy Program (NSCP) was announced in October 2006 by John Howard and provides $90 million of Commonwealth funding over three years for school chaplains. The program is contrary to the Commonwealth's obligations under the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Declaration on the Elimination of all Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination based on Religion or Belief which are incorporated into Australian Law under the HREOC Act.

It is poor public policy for the Government to favour an individual or group simply because of their being religious.  This program institutes a religious test for government funding and employment.  I have deep concerns about this - concerns which are exacerbated considering that those who will be appointed to schools under the NSCP do not require any formal qualifications and experience in teaching, counselling or social work. This program should be open to all suitably qualified persons, not just those endorsed by religious organisations.  The nominations to these positions should be based on solely on merit. To restrict it to those who are endorsed by religious organisations undermines a key pillar on which our secular society rests.

You described the program you were launching as "a chaplaincy program which aims to give counselling, advice and other help to students as they negotiate life's journey." Let me briefly say that I support all efforts and funding to assist children in their education.

The "other help" to which you refer is not explicitly stated but it is clearly spiritual and religious guidance. You go on to say that "it boarders on tragic, that young people might live their whole lives without an opportunity to participate in a faith that promises resurrection after death to a new and greater life with an eternal dimension. And that in part, is why the school chaplain is so important." In other words, a schools chaplain in your view is important because they facilitate or create an opportunity the participation of students in (Christian) religious teaching and worship.

There is nothing stopping anybody who wishes going to church or other religious activities in Australia, other than perhaps parental consent. Indeed, organisations such as Scripture Union run camps and meetings with a specific religious focus. Churches run Sunday Schools and other outreach programs. Australian's including myself cherish our freedoms including freedoms of association, belief and religion.

However, it is a different matter for the Government to institute a program which places evangelical Christians in government schools to promote their own religious beliefs and uses taxpayers money to do so. I understand that the chaplains employed under this program in Queensland are Scripture Union affiliated. The Scripture Union Australia's aims, mission statement and working principles are strongly evangelical. They state as the first point of their working principles "Evangelism and Teaching" that they "are committed to teaching basic Christian truths as an essential part of evangelism."  Their core aims are "to make God's Good News known to children, young people and families [and] to encourage people of all ages to meet God daily through the Bible and prayer, so that they may come to personal faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, grow in Christian maturity and become both committed church members and servants of a world in need."

Considering these aims, it would be unreasonable to expect Scripture Union
chaplains to "remain independent so as to provide clear, unbiased support". I feel therefore that your characterisation of chaplains and their activities is misleading.
So while most Australians would agree with your sentiments about helping
students negotiate life's journey, many Australians would not support a
program which places evangelical Christians in government schools to promote
their own religious beliefs - and especially when using taxpayers' money to
do so.

Given these serious concerns about the structure of this program, I call on
you to reconsider your support for this program in its current form. It is my proposition that the program be renamed "National Schools Social Welfare Program" and that all qualified social and youth workers (including the religious) be eligible for funding.

I do hope you can address some of my concerns and look forward to your
response to the matters I have raised.

Yours sincerely

Simon W
www.stopthenscp.org
20 June 2007

Feel free to use this information to write your own letter. Any response received will be posted.

The Governor-General's speach can be downloaded from here.