National School Chaplaincy Association welcomes budget wellbeing measure

The National School Chaplaincy Association (NSCA) has commended the Federal Government on its decision to consider the health and wellbeing of Australians when planning the upcoming budget.

NSCA spokesperson Peter James said the announcement shows that Australia is prioritising holistic outcomes when considering policy.

“A society that is healthier both physically and mentally doesn’t just benefit Australia socially but it makes economic sense, as it is always cheaper to prevent problems than fix them,” he said.

He argued that the National School Chaplaincy Program was an example of a preventative measure, and said he supports it being evaluated against wellbeing outcomes.

The National School Chaplaincy Program was introduced by the Howard Liberal Government in 2006. The policy has been politically contentious, with critics arguing that the policy takes public funding to religious organisations and that chaplains lack training in mental health.

The NSW Teachers Federation has launched a campaign to demand that funding allocated to the program be redirected to employing more school counsellors with teaching qualifications and experience.

The Federation’s Jack Galvin Waight recently presented at the union’s annual conference.

“The School Chaplaincy Program is one of our biggest secular breaches and is a waste of tax payer money,” he said.

“Record funding to chaplains and religious schools has not occurred by accident; a small but organised religious lobby has influenced our public life, institutions, and policy,” he said. “This lobby has taken an active interest in public education. And it is time that we, as a nation and union take a respectful interest in religion in schools too.”

Mr James, however, said that the chaplaincy model ensures that students are directed to professional help by chaplains.

“The school chaplaincy program is sometimes misrepresented by those with an ideological bias, but the fact is that chaplains are fully qualified in the youth work model of care that underpins both chaplaincy and student welfare work,” Mr James said.

“Within this model chaplains are trained to national standards in how to recognise mental health issues, and how to ensure students with such issues connect with other care professionals.”

Mr James said the model is tested and proven, and said that the NSCA  will release a recent study that demonstrates Australia’s school chaplaincy program contributes to youth wellbeing outcomes.

He also noted that importantly, chaplains are qualified to meet the spiritual dimension of care and personal development that is a recognised part of Australia’s educational goals.

The Albanese Labor Government will hand down its first budget in October.