LNP promises $20 million for anti-bullying, chaplains in schools
Schools would receive $10,000 grants to invest in anti-bullying programs tailor-made for their local community, as well as $15 million to expand chaplaincy services under an LNP Government.
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Schools would receive $10,000 grants to invest in anti-bullying programs tailor-made for their local community, as well as $15 million to expand chaplaincy services under an LNP Government.
LNP Leader Deb Frecklington will today announce measures to improve student welfare in state schools and provide extra support services to take the pressure off teachers and parents.
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They include a $5 million pledge to allow at least 500 state schools to choose and adopt the best anti-bullying program that will work for their cohort.
That will come on top of the $15 million plan to expand chaplaincy services to an additional 240 state schools.
Ms Frecklington said a quarter of Queensland state schools have no chaplaincy service and bullying remained a major problem in many schools.
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“One of the big challenges for teachers is that they often become part-time counsellors, nurses and carers when their primary job is teaching,” she said.
“School chaplains take pressure of our teachers and give children and young people valuable support and guidance, which is why they are so popular with students and teachers.”
It’s understood many schools fund additional chaplaincy resources through fundraising.
“This year many school fundraising activities have been prevented by coronavirus, so the LNP will step up to ensure these important activities continue and spread to more schools,” Ms Frecklington said.
LNP education spokesman Jarrod Bleijie said an LNP Government would also undertake an audit of the use of guidance officers in all schools to support additional resources.
He said he would direct the Education Department to fund the positions differently so that schools don’t have to make the positions just part-time to balance their school budgets.
