Why I believe in School Chaplaincy 
Jul 19th, 2010
I hadn’t actually heard of SU Qld before I started working there. Perhaps I’d heard of it, but didn’t take any notice. Certainly, I never knew that the government was putting money behind having Chaplains in Schools.
When you hear the term “School Chaplain”, what do you assume their role would be? What kinds of activities would such a person be involved in?
If you’re not familiar with Chappy’s (and particularly if you’re not a Christian) you are probably right now assuming the worst. I say that simply because most people I’ve talked to do assume that Chaplains are like “Sniper Priests”, silently and stealthily brainwashing kids and turning them to THE DARK SAAIIIIIDDEEEE.
What most don’t realise is that being partly funded by the Federal and State Governments, Chaplains are under the Education Queensland guidelines. That is, that they must abide by a code of conduct and their activities must be acquitted by a Government Department. Do you think EQ approves of brainwashing? Hardly.
Now, of course, The chaplains are Christians and therefore operate out of that world view, but they show this faith through their actions more than their words. So, what do they spend most of their time doing? Here’s how one School Chaplain put it recently:
... the chappy team I represent, provides food for the hungry, companionship for the lonely, a safe place for the scared, and a listening ear to those who need it.
In many ways, Chaplains are the big brothers and sisters we all wished we had in School. Check out Josephine’s story on YouTube for a deeper look at a Chaplain’s work in a School: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjUdJZL6dyk
Okay, so at this point, most people want to know - What is the difference between a Chappy and a run-of-the-mill Youth Worker. If they’re not preaching and converting willy-nilly, what’s the point? Well, I’m glad you asked!
We could go deep into philosophical differences between School Chaplains and Youth Workers. But, seeing as an election is in the air and what most Australian’s are concerned about is the budget, let’s do a quick look at what you get for your money!
More for Your Money
I did a quick Google search for the average wage of a Youth Worker and PayScale indicates that it’s between $36,000 and $51,000 (http://www.payscale.com/research/AU/Job=YouthWorker/HourlyRate). For all the Chaplains reading this right now, I’m sorry... I’m not on industry wages either, if that’s any consolation...
You see, Chappy’s don’t make that kind of money and the government only provides a portion of their wage. So, where does the rest of the money come from? Churches, Local Businesses, Family’s and Individuals. Yes, apparently a lot of that tithe money really does go back into helping the community, and Chaplaincy absolutely could not survive without it.
This begs the question - how would a run-of-the-mill Youth Worker raise the rest of the money for their wages, let alone feed hungry kids and buy materials for their work? Either the Government coughs up more money (which we know they don’t have) or the number of people on the ground gets cut. Which, would be a shame, because most of what I’ve heard is that parents and teachers want more Chappy’s in Schools, more of the time.
Resources on Tap
Each “Chaplaincy” is managed by what we call a Local Church Council or “LCC”. Yes, Churches have a lot to do with Chaplains and yes this is a good thing, let me explain this by sharing a story from a Chaplain:
After meeting with the mother I contacted a local church and asked them to drop around a food hamper for the family. That afternoon the church brought over a basket and the mother was so overwhelmed she was crying and hugging the lady. At the same time a Christian lady from another church who knew the family came over to visit and the Christian neighbour from across the street came over and offered to bring over some dinner that night.
The next morning the lady who brought over the food was teaching RE in the class of the oldest child in that family (without knowing the connection). The story was on Noah and God being faithful. After the lesson the kid came up to the RE teacher and said- God must have heard us pray. We had no food yesterday so we prayed and then we had lots of food and bread that same day!
You see, for the super-low wages that the Government contributes to, you as a member of the community not only get a single Chaplain, but a team of eager and loving people who want to help. Of course, I’m not saying you can’t get this from a Youth Worker, but the difference is that the sunroof, 5.1 surround-sound and electric-mirrors come as standard; not extra.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, I’m sure you’re aware that bullying at school is an increasing problem. Who do kids turn to in that situation? Kids Helpline? I’d like to think so, but sometimes kids are too ashamed to approach someone about their issues. Likewise, how can we expect kids who feel it’s all just too much to jump out of their skin and ask for help. We need a trusted friend on the ground who can actively engage with students; notice the changes in their demeanour and offer help and referral to professionals as soon as possible. Thankfully, these people do exist and we call them Chappy’s.
These are just a couple of reasons why I believe in School Chaplaincy and why my vote in this election will be primarily based on which party believes in Australia’s youth like I do.
