By: Beth Rivers
From the end of this year, the ACT Government has decided to cut the school chaplaincy program from public schools, triggering an urgent campaign to overturn the decision.
School Chaplaincy ACT, operated by Scripture Union (SU) Queensland has been unable to change the Government’s decision and, as a result, has urged them to launch a last-ditch ‘Save Our School Chaplains’ campaign effort — hoping to show the Territory’s leaders that people do care about this issue.
Watch student responses to the ACT school chaplaincy program:
Save our school chaplains from Save our school chaplains on Vimeo.
“I felt isolated and alone, I’d just sit by myself. The teacher introduced me to the chaplain and at that point I felt like I fitted in.”
The campaign states: This decision was made with no community consultation and no input from parents or school communities. It was made despite the overwhelming evidence of the benefits of school chaplains as part of a school’s overall pastoral care team.
“If the ACT Government can cut chaplaincy it makes it easier for other governments, so in reality the issue is bigger than Canberra,” Chaplaincy ACT CEO Peter James said.
Find out more about the #saveourchaplains campaign
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
About the Author: Beth is a digital manager, and writer from Sydney, Australia.
