Question On Notice No. 374 asked in the Legislative Council on 9 November 2021 by Hon Wilson Tucker
Question Directed to the: Minister for Education and Training
Parliament: 41 Session: 1
Question
I refer to statements in the media and elsewhere by the Minister, and I quote “There is no State Government requirement for school chaplains to be of faith.” In the Minister's previous response to a question on notice in September, the Minister stated that “Schools can choose one of three service providers that have an agreement with the Department of Education, or they have the option to purchase chaplaincy services from an alternative provider of their choice.", and I ask:
(a) can you please provide a list of chaplaincy service providers in Western Australia,
other than the three listed on the Education Department website;
(b) how many chaplains are employed in public schools this year through these alternative providers;
(c) if a public school decides to purchase a chaplain through an alternative
provider, can the school still access chaplaincy funding through the
State Government and/or the National School Chaplaincy Program; and
(d) how does the Education Department assist/enable public schools to
recruit a chaplain who is not recruited on the basis of faith
affiliation if they wish to do so?
Answered on 9 December 2021
(a) The Department of Education does not maintain a list of all chaplaincy service providers in Western Australia.
(b) The Department of Education only records information regarding chaplaincy service providers with which it has an agreement.
(c) Yes.
(d) Schools engage a chaplaincy service provider rather than recruiting chaplains directly. Schools have the option to undertake an independent procurement process to purchase chaplaincy services from a provider other than the three with which the Department has an agreement. Department staff are able to work with schools to develop appropriate contracting arrangements, if requested.