This episode explores the question of whether public schools will have a real choice of a secular option under the federal government’s revised National School Chaplaincy Program. From the WA Public Schools Alliance, Rosemary Lynch (01:43) shares insights into what has been happening in Western Australia, including the push by Parents & Citizens groups for governments to remove the religious requirement for the chaplaincy roles. From Victoria, former primary school principal and now councillor at the City of Port Phillip, Peter Martin (13:22), talks about his school’s opposition to the religious nature of the program and how it made alternative arrangements to secure secular youth workers.
This episode explores the question of whether public schools will have a real choice of a secular option under the federal government’s revised National School Chaplaincy Program. From the WA Public Schools Alliance, Rosemary Lynch (01:43) shares insights into what has been happening in Western Australia, including the push by Parents & Citizens groups for governments to remove the religious requirement for the chaplaincy roles. From Victoria, former primary school principal and now councillor at the City of Port Phillip, Peter Martin (13:22), talks about his school’s opposition to the religious nature of the program and how it made alternative arrangements to secure secular youth workers.
The Rationalist Society of Australia is campaigning for the discriminatory hiring practices to be removed from the National School Chaplaincy Program. See our campaign page and catch up on the latest articles here.
In July, the RSA reported that the Maylands Peninsula Primary School’s Parents & Citizens (P&C) group had held a survey of its school community, which overwhelmingly voted to remove religious-based discrimination in the hiring practices of school chaplaincy positions. Read more here.
In September, the RSA reported on how all of Western Australia's P&C groups rejected the current federal and state model of funding religious chaplains through religious labour-hire firms. Read more here.
The theme music of the Secular Agenda podcast is called 'Curiosity', and it's by Shimmer.
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