It may be different in Queensland, Hugh Wilson, but in most States, the Education Acts providing for public education describe Government education as 'secular', but right from the beginning 'religious instruction' was written into the Acts. In practical terms, 'secular' meant 'controlled and funded by the Government', and not by the churches.

It may be different in Queensland, but in other States, Sells, the chaplains are tertiary-trained. In the State where Sells lives, for example (WA), over 95% of the chaplains have a degree (some in nursing, some in theology, and some in teaching) and receive ongoing in-service training. Their job descriptions reflect a sensitivity to their context - public schools - and their role is pastoral care with a coherent base.

It may be different in Queensland, but it is important to hold chaplains accountable if their behaviour is inappropriate for public schools, but it it also important for criticism to be based on facts, not simply ideology.

There has been religious instruction in public schools for more than a century, and there have been chaplains in Victoria since the 1950s, so these activities are not new. If chaplains were serpents, then their poison would surely be evident by now, yet school communities have welcomed the work they do.

In a way that social workers and psychologists cannot, school chaplains are able to be proactive in building students' resilience, encouraging them to develop a healthy world-view that fits each student (not necessarily Christian), to help schools prevent suicides, and to provide vital support for over-worked teachers.

It may be different in Queensland, but in most States school communities and the public can see the difference between fact and ideology and argue each separately.

Ted.. it is 'different' in Queensland.. where chaplains require no qualification other than a "I haven't offended or haven't been caught yet" 'blue card' criminal check (known in some circles as a 'pedo-pass'). They are also required to become sworn evangelists to get the gig. The vast majority of Queensland chaplains are Charismatic/Pentecostal/Evangelical/Fundamentalist/Reconstructionist extremists. It's all here:
http://www.thefourthr.info

And Ted.. it is 'different' in Queensland where in 1910 the word 'secular' was deleted from the State's education act to allow Ed Qld staff teachers to give Bible lessons to students in school hours as part of the curriculum. As far as we know, nothing resembling this archaic ritual occurs anywhere else within the 'developed' world.

http://education.qld.gov.au/studentservices/inclusive/religion/ri/faqs/biblelessons.html
http://education.qld.gov.au/studentservices/inclusive/religion/ri/faqs/docs/bible_lessons.pdf

Freed for almost a century from the constraints of presenting secular-only content, Ed Qld teachers can, and do, 'teach' whatever they fancy, including the dreaded intelligent? design.

Please download the excellent soon-to-begin 'Back in The Act' campaign kit here:
http://www.thefourthr.info/PDFs/EQ_law_1875-2008.pdf

Yep Ted, I guess if you consider that the human rights of the entire Queensland State school student population is in advanced stages of meltdown, we can safely conclude that it IS different in Queensland.

Oh, and polycarp, please have a gander at The Fourth R Neo-Pantheistic battle hymn.. "Why Don't Bees Go to Heaven?"
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=FOHPQusSc5Q

That one should have your Calgary cavalry of thought-police knocking the door down within the hour!

Meanwhile, prepare for the (first) coming of the BITA campaign mantra between now and next year's Queensland State election:

"Let's get 'secular' back in The Act!"

Its an absolute outrage that chaplains are in public schools at all. State schools were meant to be a place that non religious families could thrive without discrimination or coercion. Religion is a choice and should remain as a choice. These chaplains have no accountability and a haven for pedophiliacs who do not need much training, have little accountability and can have close contact with children uncompromised in a position of "faith". The potential for grooming and lack of screening is great. They have no supervision nor are they responsible for the damage they do.

Dear Anonymum
Some facts may allay your concerns.
1. State schools are providers of universal education. They are not just for the "non-religious". In my state for example, over 50% of Catholic kids go to state schools. And isn't this a great thing? It prevents our nation from being sectarian. Kids from "religious" families at state schools are also entitled to "thrive without discrimination or coercion" and to mix with "non-religious" children to the benefit of both.
2. The Education Acts in most states specify that religious personnel may come into schools, and they lay out the conditions under which this can happen. This was part of the legislators' understanding of "secular", evidently different from the ideological definitions put forward by people posting to this thread.
2. Chaplains are accountable through individual contracts with their employing agency, through agreements negotiated with Education Departments, and now through contracts with the Federal Government. In W.A., for one, these contracts are reviewed at least annually.
3. Chaplains are supervised, usually with a work supervisor and a personal supervisor.
4. Of course, schools will attract people wanting to exploit children in whatever nasty way, not just paedophilia. Teachers and chaplains, at least in this state, undergo more rigorous checks than the "Working with Children" checks that other members of the community require.
5. Chaplains cannot be imposed on schools. School communities must choose to take on a Chaplain. The fact that there have been chaplains in government schools in Victoria for 60 years, in W.A. for 25 years, and in 10 or more years in other states, means that schools continue to ask for them. Schools like chaplains.

Hugh Wilson makes a number of very good points. His point about the funding allocations; his point about the funding of the religious right; and his point about the teaching of gendered roles for girls and boys are all of great concern. Another recent article in OLO was on child abuse. I think the two articles are linked. We turn a blind eye to a form of abuse(I was a recipient) that is, in some ways, of greater concern than physical abuse. The body heals, but the mind can carry scars unto death. I refer to psychological abuse, especially the invisible hand of religion on the 'souls' of our young and vulnerable. It seems anything taught in the name of a 'loving God' is going to do nothing but good. When you indoctrinate girls and boys into a cultish system of ridgid roles, they don't just escape as one might the bars of a material prison, they spend their lives working through the affects. This is child abuse sanctioned, and indeed funded, by the state and federal governments.