Media Release: APPA Welcomes Changes to the Chaplaincy Program

The Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) today strongly endorsed the announcement by the Minister for School Education to extend the reach and broaden the scope of the National School Chaplaincy Program to include secular student welfare services.

Click here to download the media release from the Minister announcing the changes.

Click here to download the media release from APPA.

Text of APPA's media release:

APPA has been a long-standing advocate of the National School Chaplaincy Program and the benefit it brings to the pastoral care of school communities but has maintained that improvements can and should be made. Today’s announcement addresses many of those points.

In particular, APPA welcomes the Minister’s announcement that priority for funding additional places will be given to schools serving remote, regional and disadvantaged areas.

APPA President Norm Hart said the announcement that schools in remote, regional and disadvantaged areas will be targeted under the additional $222 million provided by the Federal Government under the program will benefit many students who would not otherwise have access to such support and guidance.

“Schools are increasingly expected to meet the needs of students across all areas of their development. Primary school principals recognise the significant need that exists in Australia’s primary schools for sustainable support of social and emotional learning. The newly named National School Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Program offers school communities a valuable resource which impacts positively on the wellbeing of students and also supports the work of principals and teachers.”

APPA also applauded the announcement to allow individual schools to choose to employ either a school chaplain or a secular student welfare worker.

Nearly 2,700 schools across Australia are currently benefiting from the program, demonstrating its popularity as an additional resource in the school community that delivers on the needs of primary school-aged students. APPA believes that the needs of students should be the key determinant of the role as the program moves forward, and that these needs will often be appropriately met by broader pastoral care.

Mr Hart said that:

“APPA believes that the diversity of student need, mission and context across Australian schools requires flexibility to deliver equitable and effective services to students and school communities. Today’s announcement goes a long way to helping ensure this can be delivered across Australia’s schools.”