❓ Mr. Abetz asks about the impact of additional funding for in-school chaplains in WA public schools. The Minister details the state government's financial commitment to the program, including backfilling federal funding cuts and expanding the program to more schools.
AnsweredQoN 346Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOL
CHAPLAINCY PROGRAM
346. Mr P. ABETZ to the
Minister for Planning:
Before I ask my question I would like to acknowledge the year
6 students from Yidarra Catholic Primary School from the member for Bateman's
electorate.
I refer to the recent announcement that a further 179 public
schools will now receive funding for in-school chaplains. Can the minister
representing the Minister for Education please advise the house what this means
for public schools across the state?
CHAPLAINCY PROGRAM
346. Mr P. ABETZ to the
Minister for Planning:
Before I ask my question I would like to acknowledge the year
6 students from Yidarra Catholic Primary School from the member for Bateman's
electorate.
I refer to the recent announcement that a further 179 public
schools will now receive funding for in-school chaplains. Can the minister
representing the Minister for Education please advise the house what this means
for public schools across the state?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. The government has, of
course, been very supportive of the school chaplaincy program since it was
commenced.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mr J.H.D. DAY : If
the opposition, which is showing some latent interest in the issue, would like
to listen, it will have a greater understanding about the funding that is being
provided by this government. There was an issue at the end of last year, in
December, when the commonwealth government discontinued $1.45 million of
funding that was previously being provided under its national school chaplaincy
program. The state government stepped in to backfill that $1.45 million and
that enabled 71 more public schools to access an in-school chaplain this year.
Despite this additional funding, there were still schools that missed out, so
the government has now committed an additional $2.7 million in this calendar
year to fund a further 179 public schools for an in-school chaplain. I know
there were concerns in quite a number of schools, including schools in my
electorate, because of the fact that they had previously had a chaplain, but,
because of a change in the way the funds were allocated more broadly than was
the case before across all of the school sectors, some schools did miss out.
The additional funding that is now being provided, which was announced a couple
of weeks ago by the Minister for Education, means that every Western Australian
public school that applied for an in-school chaplain will now receive funding
in this calendar year and it will also continue in 2016 at a cost of $5.05 million.
This brings the total commitment by the state government for in-school
chaplains to public schools for this calendar year, 2015, and 2016 to over $9.2
million. In total, 500 public schools that have identified a need and submitted
either an individual or joint application for the national school chaplaincy
program will now receive funding in 2015 and 2016 through either the state or
the commonwealth program. In addition to funding for in-school chaplains, the
government is also contributing $5.68 million a year to YouthCARE to provide
other chaplaincy services in public schools. These services include support
chaplains for schools that do not have an in-school chaplain, relief chaplains
and critical incident response chaplains. I think that bears out the fact that
the government recognises the important role chaplains have in those schools
that choose to have that service to provide important pastoral care to
students, families and also to teachers in some cases.
course, been very supportive of the school chaplaincy program since it was
commenced.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mr J.H.D. DAY : If
the opposition, which is showing some latent interest in the issue, would like
to listen, it will have a greater understanding about the funding that is being
provided by this government. There was an issue at the end of last year, in
December, when the commonwealth government discontinued $1.45 million of
funding that was previously being provided under its national school chaplaincy
program. The state government stepped in to backfill that $1.45 million and
that enabled 71 more public schools to access an in-school chaplain this year.
Despite this additional funding, there were still schools that missed out, so
the government has now committed an additional $2.7 million in this calendar
year to fund a further 179 public schools for an in-school chaplain. I know
there were concerns in quite a number of schools, including schools in my
electorate, because of the fact that they had previously had a chaplain, but,
because of a change in the way the funds were allocated more broadly than was
the case before across all of the school sectors, some schools did miss out.
The additional funding that is now being provided, which was announced a couple
of weeks ago by the Minister for Education, means that every Western Australian
public school that applied for an in-school chaplain will now receive funding
in this calendar year and it will also continue in 2016 at a cost of $5.05 million.
This brings the total commitment by the state government for in-school
chaplains to public schools for this calendar year, 2015, and 2016 to over $9.2
million. In total, 500 public schools that have identified a need and submitted
either an individual or joint application for the national school chaplaincy
program will now receive funding in 2015 and 2016 through either the state or
the commonwealth program. In addition to funding for in-school chaplains, the
government is also contributing $5.68 million a year to YouthCARE to provide
other chaplaincy services in public schools. These services include support
chaplains for schools that do not have an in-school chaplain, relief chaplains
and critical incident response chaplains. I think that bears out the fact that
the government recognises the important role chaplains have in those schools
that choose to have that service to provide important pastoral care to
students, families and also to teachers in some cases.
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