Dozens fewer SA public schools to have school chaplains from 2020

Dozens of SA public schools are about to lose their government-funded chaplains as costs eat into the controversial religious program’s budget.

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Dozens of public schools will lose their pastoral care workers under the National School Chaplaincy Program because rising wages and other costs are eating into funding.

The number of public primary and high schools with chaplains has been cut by 45 to 302 for the next three years.

There are 55 schools that have dropped off the funded list, while 10 have been added. The SA Education Department has not said if any schools with chaplains did not reapply for funding.

The State Opposition’s assistant education spokesman Blair Boyer knew of several schools that have had chaplains for many years that had been told their funding applications were rejected.

“They do some great work supporting students in lots of different ways,” he said.

“If Liberal governments, state and federal, are so supportive of this program, they need to step in immediately to make sure that schools that have relied on the services of a pastoral care worker for many years don’t miss out.”

The program is funded by the Federal Government but administered by the states and territories. Federal funding for SA was set in last year’s Federal Budget at $7.6 million a year until 2021-22. That also covers private schools.

SA Primary Principals Association president Angela Falkenberg said the chaplains were invaluable for supporting struggling families and connecting them with other services.

Losing them could place an “additional workload” on other staff, she said.

While popular with schools and many parents, the program has long been controversial over claims of bringing religious views and influence into secular, public schools.

The chaplains must be endorsed by a religious institution and can give “general spiritual and personal advice” but are not allowed to cross the line into proselytising.

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An SA Education Department statement said funding levels remained the same but the “funding model” had to be changed to ensure “ongoing viability” by addressing “increases in wages and associated costs”.

It said there was “a high number” of funding applications from schools but did not supply a total. Selection criteria included enrolments, socio-economic disadvantage, remoteness and “availability of other wellbeing services”.

Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said: “In the 2018 Budget, the Coalition committed $247 million over four years to continue the valuable work of the National School Chaplaincy Program. Cross-sector panels in each state and territory are responsible for selecting and prioritising schools for funding.”

The $247 million was an increase compared to the previous funding period.

The Advertiser contacted the Schools Ministry Group, the program’s main provider in SA, for comment.