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‘Viewpoint’ on Chaplaincy in Government SchoolsBy Tim Mander, CEO Scripture Union Queensland

Chaplaincy in Government schools is not a recent phenomenon in this country. Victoria has had chaplains in state schools for over 50 years whilst this year in Queensland we are celebrating 21 years of pastoral care support through chaplaincy. School chaplaincy in Queensland was born out of a desire by a small number of Christian churches to offer pastoral support to their local state school. Whilst most teachers exercised admirable pastoral care of their students, coping with the increasing student pastoral demands due to growing family dysfunction and other social issues, made this more and more challenging when faced with time constraints and the inherent obligations of their role to discipline and control.

The Role of Chaplains in Government Schools

Unlike their private school namesake, school chaplaincy in government schools is quite separate and distinct from a religious education function. School chaplaincy in government schools is about pastoral care, not religious education. Church Ministers and volunteers from local churches are responsible for the weekly religious education classes held in most local schools, as is their legislative right.

So if chaplains are not there for religious education, what is their role?

Working alongside other caring professionals, Chaplains care for student’s spiritual and emotional needs through pastoral care – helping students struggling with a wide range of issues, including: family problems, confusing relationships, friendship issues, peer pressure, self-esteem issues, bullying and depression.

Chaplains provide general personal and spiritual advice, comfort and support to all students and staff, regardless of their religious affiliation or religious beliefs.

Chaplains really come to the fore at the time of critical incidents in the life of schools. Working alongside other support staff as part of an affected school’s Critical Incident Management Plan, they can comfort, support, listen, pray and practically assist those in need during crises. Critical incidents can include: death and bereavement, suicide, assault, serious accidents/injuries and of course natural disaster like the Victorian bush fires and the recent Queensland floods and cyclones.

It’s important to note that chaplains, under state government guidelines and those of the National School Chaplaincy Program (NSCP) are not permitted to evangelise or proselytise – While recognising that an individual chaplain will in good faith express views and articulate values consistent with his or her denomination or religious beliefs, a chaplain should not take advantage of his or her privileged position to proselytise for (his/her) denomination or religious belief i.

Some critics argue that chaplains by their very nature are unable to adhere to these guidelines. This sentiment fails to understand the motives that drive the chaplains and the organisations that employ them.ii In describing churches expectation of school chaplaincy, Professor Brian Hill describes the heart and practice of this work well when he says,

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The facile answer is that it might be seen to provide a back door for covert evangelism. After all, the primary commission given by Christ to the church was to disciple all people groups, baptising them into the Trinitarian community (Mt. 28: 19-20). But his own example of how to do this was a holistic ministry of teaching, healing, and advocacy for the poor. Nor did he confine his compassionate services only to those who were willing to become his followers. That was not his primary motive for responding to their need. He blackmailed no-one.

While there was an aberrant period in recent church history when personal evangelism was (and by some still is) represented as the church’s sole business, the more general story has been one in which the church has followed its Lord in pioneering services in such areas as health, education, and economic critique as part of its concern for people in their total life situation. iii

One school chaplain from a Christian Employing Authority, summed it up best when he said, “For the most part, Chaplaincy is a ministry of presence, rather than a ministry of telling the Christian story”iv

Another important principle is that school chaplaincy is a voluntary program. In the first instance a school community must decide whether it wants a chaplaincy service. If they decide affirmatively, they must then agree on the faith background of the prospective chaplain. Even if a school agrees to have a chaplaincy service, parents make a choice about whether they want their child participating in any program involving the school chaplain. School Chaplains are an available resource for those who choose to access the service. Chaplains do not impose their service on anyone.

National School Chaplaincy Program (NSCP)

Until recently, school chaplains were funded solely through support from churches, businesses, individuals, community organisations and fundraising initiatives within each local area.

In 2006, the Australian Federal Government (Howard) announced the National School Chaplaincy program (NSCP) to support the contribution chaplaincy provides to the spiritual and emotional well being of students. Their objective was to make this already vibrant and effective support to be more broadly available to school communities.

The response to this program was astonishing. It was massively oversubscribed to the point that the original three year funding of $90 million was expanded to $165 million. The final impact was a trebling of school chaplaincy services in government schools. There are currently 1915 government schools nationally that receive funding under the NSCP. This equates to 28% of government schools.

The subsequent Rudd and Gillard governments have extended the original three year program until the end of 2014. Prime Minister Gillard has also promised 1000 new chaplaincy services to begin in 2012.

Do Chaplains have a Role in Government Schools and should they be Funded?

Most State Education Departments acknowledge the necessity to cater for student’s spiritual needs if a holistic education is to be achieved. There is a growing awareness of the links between spirituality and positive outcomes for young people and communities, particularly in the areas of education and mental health.v The 2008 “Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians” states that schools play a vital role in ensuring the economic prosperity and social

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cohesion of Australia through “promoting the intellectual, physical, social, emotional, moral, spiritual and aesthetic development and wellbeing of young Australians”. vi Spirituality is central to our wellbeing and an emphasis on spirituality lies at the heart of Chaplaincy. As such, Chaplains have an important role to play in helping schools to help young people live meaningful lives and to make meaningful contributions in their communities.

Pastoral care of students (and staff) is an important issue in our schools and one that can’t be ignored – “because a school is a moral or humane community before it is a learning community, pastoral care is in its own right a valid aim of schooling”vii.

Chaplaincy has long been identified with effective, compassionate pastoral care. Faith based organisations have been providing pastoral care through chaplaincy over a wide variety of sectors for centuries – armed forces, hospitals, universities, emergency services, professional sporting teams.

I would argue there is both a demand and need for these services in the school environment as it does contribute to the more holistic objectives of education and well-being for our children. This makes it a legitimate use of government expenditure.

Of course there are those who oppose chaplains in government schools - best illustrated by a challenge in the High Court to the federal funding of chaplains. Whilst the major legal arguments in this challenge revolve around the scope of Commonwealth Executive power and whether chaplains should be regarded as “Commonwealth Officers”, it would seem the motivation behind the challenge is a philosophical debate about what it means to have a secular education system.

What does secular mean in relation to education? Does it mean the avoidance of any religious comment at all or is it more about providing neutral space for differing views? Professor Brian Hill offers a view on the debate when he says, “Some of these critics are militant Secular Humanists, for whom toleration of any religious teaching, practice or even mere presence is anathema. Their agenda is plainly ideological and no less value-laden than any other. Others interpret the secular clause in a more impartial sense as requiring that the school remain neutral to all contested beliefs and values by excluding them from the explicit curriculum and from staff selection criteria.”viii i Clause 9, Attachment A (Code of Conduct for School Chaplains), National School Chaplaincy Program Guidelines, January 2007, 25.ii I am writing from a Christian Employing Authority perspective. School communities decide what faith their chaplain will come from and subsequently “contract” a chaplain through an employing authority of that faith. Scripture Union Qld is a Christian Employing Authority.iii Hill, Brian and Hill, Justin, “Right for the Times? An Evaluation of the Case for Chaplaincy”, Journal of Christian Education, 41, 1, May 2005, 49-56.iv Wright, Neil, “Being a Chaplain within a Secular Education System”, Journal of Christian Education, 52, 3, December 2009, 43-52.v Cornah, D (2006) The Impact of Spirituality on Mental Health: A Review of the Literature. London: The Mental Health Foundation, 9.vi On 5 December 2008, State, Territory and Commonwealth Ministers of Education, meeting as the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA), released the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians which sets the direction for Australian schooling for the next 10 years. The Goals were developed by Education Ministers in collaboration with the Catholic and Independent school sectors, following public consultation on the draft declaration.vii Hill, Brian V. “Is School Chaplaincy Being Secularised? Journal of Christian Education, 50, 1, May 2007, 49-59.viii Ibid.

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This issue is very polarising and can’t be given comprehensive coverage in such a short article. I will say however that those who oppose school chaplaincy have no need to fear. Chaplaincy services in government schools are strictly monitored and are a resource for those who choose to participate.

The Unique Dimension of Care Offered by School Chaplains

Two legitimate questions that are often asked are:

“What do school chaplains offer to students that doesn’t already exist?” and/or

“Why isn’t the funding for chaplains redirected so that schools can have access to more counsellors and psychologists?

Over the last few decades, mental health professionals have come to understand an effective mental health response as existing along a continuum of mental health promotion, prevention, early intervention, intervention and treatment.ix Effective mental health does not just involve competent counsellors and case managers responding to issues as they arise, but other professionals working towards building strong relationships and a culture of compassionate care. Chaplains are staff who can play this role in schools. They are a constant, dedicated and direct caring presence for young people in schools and this has been shown, time and time again, to be a major protective factor for the wellbeing of young people.x So many reports on the mental health and wellbeing of young people cry out for youth work services that are informal, flexible, and accessible to young people so that effective mental health services can be delivered.xi Chaplaincy is this type of service in schools, providing a vital gateway between young people in schools and the mental health services they do not otherwise make use of.

Chaplains appreciate that the lives of young people can only be understood in the context of their families and peers, as well as their community and cultural influences. For this reason, Chaplains promote relationships and connectedness beyond themselves. They are a conduit for connectedness through the facilitation of fun activities, groups, mentoring and referral, connecting young people to other young people, adults, organisations and resources that can make a difference in their lives. Beyond direct support to young people, Chaplains also provide connections and support for families and staff members, contributing to the wellbeing of the whole school community.

Students view Chaplains differently from other school staff. They are seen as non-aligned and not part of the school’s ‘authority’ structure. This perception of neutrality makes them more approachable for many students. In addition they are also far more accessible than the more formalised welfare services offered in a school.xii Rather than duplicating any existing services in schools, chaplains complement the range of services that promote mental health and well being.

ix Rickwood, D. (2007). Conceptual framework for PPEI and applications in general practice: Overview of the literature. Monograph 1 in A. O’Hanlon, A. Patterson & J. Parham (Series Eds.), Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health in General Practice. Adelaide: Australian Network for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health (Auseinet), 13.x Ibid, 4-7.xi NMHWG (2004) Responding to the Mental Health Needs of Young People in Australia: discussion paper, principles and strategies. Canberra: Australian Government, 19-24.xii Hughes, Dr. P., and Sims, Prof. M. 2009, ‘The Effectiveness of Chaplaincy’, As Provided to the National Schools Chaplaincy Association to Government Schools in Australia, School of Psychology and Social Science, Edith Cowan University, pge. 6.

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They work in close co-operation and in partnership with the other members of the school’s welfare unit e.g. Nurses, guidance officers, school based police, counsellors and psychologists and indigenous workers.

Effectiveness of School Chaplaincy

School chaplaincy has been well accepted at school level by Principals, teachers, parents and most importantly students. Anecdotal reports are received on a daily basis demonstrating the effectiveness and appreciation of school chaplains. One parent wrote to SU Qld to express her appreciation of the program.

When my son was in year 9 he was having some difficulties dealing with the break-up of myself and my ex-husband. He was on "suicide watch" at school because he had seriously attempted to take his own life. The school chaplain in his state school quite literally saved his life and turned him around. He is now finishing year 12 and achieving excellent results in a school-based apprenticeship as an Electrical Engineer. He is still in contact with the school chaplain even though he now is at another school and we will both be forever grateful for her help and on-going prayers.

The National School Chaplaincy Association (NSCA) commissioned a study in to the effectiveness of school chaplains that come under their auspices (85% of chaplains in Australian Government schools) in 2009.xiii Asked about the most important contribution chaplains had made, most principals wrote of “how they provided pastoral care in a non-judgemental way. Secondly, they spoke of modelling and teaching moral values and thirdly in creating and nurturing ties with the community.” Ninety-eight per cent of Principals who responded to the research survey said that chaplaincy is important and want government funding to continue.

The Department of Education, Employment and Work Place Relations (DEEWR) recently published a Discussion Paper on the future of school chaplaincy after consultation with the major stakeholders. Some of the comments gained from this consultation again reflect the value of school chaplains.xiv

Many stakeholders stated:

That a particular benefit of the program is the provision of preventative and early intervention services. Often chaplains undertake their work in an informal manner, spending time with students in the school yard and conversing with parents and staff. These informal interactions provide an opportunity for chaplains to discuss a wide variety of issues in a nonthreatening way. It also enables them to identify a range of matters that may be affecting someone. The chaplain is then able to refer individuals to the appropriate support mechanism(s) within a spectrum of professional and community services, in consultation with school wellbeing team members.

Noted the onsite presence of a chaplain as being of great value, particularly their support and responsiveness in the school yard (e.g. in instances of bullying or social isolation) and ability to be accessed quickly by staff and students without the delays experienced when accessing off-site services by referral.

xiii Ibid, 5xiv National School Chaplaincy Program 2011, Have Your Say, A Discussion Paper, DEEWR.

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advised that chaplains provide a special additional resource for schools in that they have the time available to holistically support the ‘whole person’, families, staff, and the wider community, particularly in times of crisis.

A representative of the Queensland Indigenous Education Consultative Committee noted that ‘parents can struggle to talk freely with principals and school staff; the chaplain is a person withwhom they feel comfortable communicating’.

Conclusion

The school chaplaincy program in Australia has been well received by government schools right across the country. It has bipartisan support at both Federal and State levels of government and is acclaimed by school principals, teachers, parents and students alike. The respect and demand for school chaplains is so high; I predict the next round of grants offered to schools for chaplains (1000 new schools in 2012) will be oversubscribed.

School Chaplaincy is a unique service that doesn’t duplicate any existing service in schools. Chaplains do not work in isolation but rather in partnership with other members of the wellbeing team in schools. It has a proven track record, decades in some states, of working effectively and with integrity. The vast majority of parents are happy to have this resource available to those schools and students who voluntarily partake of the services offered. School chaplaincy has proven that it is a great long term value to the wellbeing of Australian school community

Tim Mander

SU Qld CEO (May 2011).