NSW Teachers Federation.
Home.About.News.Get Involved.Training.Info Centre.Campaigns.Future Teachers.TAFE
SEARCH      

Dell Computer Offer

Education Online.

Government not serious about good faith negotiations
Teachers must stand together to demand negotiated settlements on staffing, standards and salaries which acknowledge the value of the profession.
[ Full Story ]

2009 to begin with more industrial action
Members have voted overwhelmingly to stop work on January 28-29 over salaries, staffing and qualifications.
[ Full Story ]

Interstate teachers win salary increases
Industrial action for teachers in other states and territories has led to better salary rates.
[ Full Story ]

Teachers want real value pay increases
The NSW Government's 2007 wages policy does not reflect inflationary forecasts.
[ Full Story ]

Appointments by transfer save time and money
DET's staffing changes actually increase employee related costs.
[ Full Story ]


> More articles
>View all issues


Members' Area.

SIGN IN
How to access this area


  Subscribe to NSWTF
About subscribing

Health Fund.

Super.

Credit Union.


Conference Centre.

-

Counsellors needed, not chaplains

By Angelo Gavrielatos

The National School Chaplaincy Program announced by the Howard Government represents one of the most misguided and divisive policies yet to be announced by the Howard Government.

Allocating $90 million over three years to place chaplains in schools is a flagrant misuse of urgently needed funding for public schools. Further, it represents a crude attempt to provide even more funding to private religious schools.

At a time of ever increasing social pressures on children, what is needed is an enhancement of professional school counselling services. Currently the school counsellor to student ratio stands at about 1:1000 in NSW schools. This money for the National School Chaplaincy Program would be better spent on additional school counsellors to achieve a more manageable caseload.

Furthermore, the Federal Government's proposal stands in stark contra-distinction to and undermines Australia's secular traditions. The potential division caused by this program, within school communities of different faiths, is of concern.

It is only in a secular society where freedom from and freedom for religion is guaranteed. Recognising this, the opportunity already exists in all public schools for local, recognised religious groups to provide special religious education (scripture).

In the words of Geoffrey Robertson QC: "Public education has the great advantage of secularity. In a world where religion is becoming the greatest threat to rationality surely secular learning should be regarded as a plus".

Angelo Gavrielatos is the Deputy President.





©2000-2002 NSWTF Online is a resource for teachers
provided by the NSW Teachers Federation.
[Authorisation of election comment]
 [Privacy]

http://www.nswtf.org.au/journal_extras/cllrsneed.html
Last Modified: 08 Feb 2007

Social Change Online.Labornet.Australian Education Union.NSW Teachers Federation.

NSWTF Online is proudly created, designed and programmed by Social Change Online for the NSW Teachers Federation.