Senator Gavin Marshall, the chairman of the Senate Education Committee,  has told a Senate estimates hearing that he is concerned about the Scripture Union’s participation in the National School Chaplaincy Program (NSCP) after he attacked the group’s stance on homosexuality.

 

The Scripture Union, being the main provider of chaplaincy services in Queensland, Tasmania and ACT, has come under criticism for holding what Senator Marshall describes as ''fairly harsh view'' on homosexuality.

 

Education Department secretary Lisa Paul defended the decision to allow the Scripture Union to participate in the NSCP, saying it is the action of the individual chaplain in the school rather than their personal beliefs that is the key factor.

 

Ms Paul said that if any chaplain was to publically advocate an anti-homosexual stance, they would be in breach of the NSCP’s guidelines.

 

The NSCP, which can allocate up to $60,000 per school per year to expand chaplaincy services, has been allocated $222 million in funding over three years to extend services for the 2681 participating schools.

 

There is currently a number of investigations into the NCSP after the department had received dozens of complaints about individual chaplains, while the Australian Education Union has called for its total abolition, arguing that the program undermines the secularity of public schooling.

“Apart from undermining the secular traditions of public schools, this announcement fails to acknowledge what our students really need - qualified school counsellors, psychologists and welfare workers who can meet their complex needs” AEU Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos said.