Chaplains will replace welfare officers in schools

This chaplain putting in schools is getting worse and worse. After finding a quarter of a billion dollars to put chaplains in schools, whilst shafting the poor and raving about budget emergencies, it has now come to light in senate estimates that they are replacing 583 secular welfare officers already in place. They will now lose their jobs. The Australian Education Union responds:

Almost 600 secular school welfare officers are set to lose their jobs as Tony Abbott's revamped Chaplaincy program replaces the existing School Welfare Program from the start of 2015. 

The Federal Government will end the jobs of 583 secular welfare officers in schools and use its $245.3 million National School Chaplaincy Program to push religion into public schools, Senate Estimates revealed last night. 

The AEU has slammed the Chaplaincy program as a misuse of funding that could be spent on more urgent needs, such as professional support for students with disability. 

“The Chaplaincy program is a case of the Government’s wrong priorities," says AEU deputy federal president Correna Haythorpe. 

"They are unable to deliver a promised increased disability loading from 2015 to support students in urgent need, yet they are able to find $245.3 million to spend on chaplains. 

"We have 100,000 students with disabilities not receiving the support they need, as well as shortages of speech pathologists and other support staff. This must be a higher priority than chaplains. more

Oh how lovely.  Abbott's trying to turn us into an anachronism :s