For many years, Victorian public school students been supported by qualified Christian chaplains who provide spiritual and emotional advice and counsel.

State Parliament may only be sitting occasionally due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that has not dissuaded Reason Party Leader Fiona Patten MLC from slipping a bill into the Upper House targeting student spiritual support through school chaplains. The bill claims to ‘deal with religious privilege and uphold secular values.’

The Australian Christian Lobby has urged the South Australian government to retain chaplains in up to 45 public schools after The Advertiser reported today that the number of public primary and high schools with chaplains has been cut from 347 to 302 for the next three years.