The idea of chaplains in schools is nonsense. Parents should resume their responsibility of teaching "values" to their own kids.

As it is up to individual schools to ask for the service, perhaps it will die a natural death.

"Only the churlish or wilfully blind would deny that Australia's young people, across the board, could benefit from better values education"

From the parents yes, schools no. It isn't the school's job to instill values, somewhere along the line we've forgotten that.

Schools are about education. Maths, science, history, english.

If the author is implying that we need to inject more values education into the school system, then I suppose I am wilfully blind or indeed, churlish.

I tend to think this attitude of fobbing it on to the schools is what has led us here.

In WA we have had chaplains in senior high schools for many years, funded mainly from a state government grant to the Churches Commission who provide the chaplains. Individual schools, local churches, P & C's and other fund raising provide the salary after initial assistance from the Churches Commission.

The chaplains are usually simply good people who come from a christian background. Some work part time as chaplains and part time as pastors. They actually do a good job for many students.

There is no fuss about this programme and I believe that the Howard Government funding will be most welcome in many schools over here in the West.

As usual there will be opposition from the Howard haters who always believe that there is some kind of secret agenda behind any initiative that the Government introduces. However, most parents will welcome the initiative and, in the end, that is what really counts.

As a Christian I would have no issues with values not being taught in schools and left to the parents. The simple fact is that values are being taught everyday. Issues relating to sexuality, treatment of illegal immigrants, trade unionism, treatment of Indigneous are all topics discussed and view points put forth. Given that so many of the secular are so keen on pushing their brand of religion I am in favour of having Christian Chaplains. It is our Christian heritage that has made this nation great. I realise those who hate verything about our past does not agree with this.

Why chaplains why not budhist monks, humanists, muslim clerics, rabis and the like?

What happened to the Australian tradition of seperation of church and state?

I have never knowingly voted for callithumpians of any persuasion and I pray my local member looks after the interests of all his constituents not ony the interests of his fellow travellers

Can a school employ a chaplain who is a whizz at remedial maths and english but a bit hazy on the bible / torah / koran?

Let us pray that the chaplains provided by the Anglican diosese of Sydney will handle the situation of a 15 year old pregnant teenager pregnant to another 15 year old with compassion rather than dogma