It’s not the first time Australian schools have been given a choice of a religious school chaplain or a secular welfare officer, and for some schools the decision can be divisive.
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Articles on school counsellors
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Schools currently rely on third-party providers that require all those who apply to do student counselling and community work as school chaplains to have a committed Christian faith.
Research on the impacts on schooling of COVID and bushfire and flood disasters has found academically the kids are mostly OK. It’s their well-being and recovery from trauma that demand our attention.
It’s worth recapping what’s known about how Australia’s chaplaincy program has operated so far, and what alternatives exist.
Top contributors
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Professor in Tropical Regional Development, The Cairns Institute, James Cook University
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Karen Martin is a Friend of The Conversation.
Professor, The University of Western Australia
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Professor of Constitutional Law, Monash University
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Associate Professor in Education, University of Newcastle
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Senior lecturer, Monash University
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Research associate, The University of Western Australia
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Associate Dean, Education and Equity, James Cook University
