Most local schools have school chaplains and they are highly valued with a good reputation. As far as I know they are all Christian.

Federal School Education Minister Peter Garrett has released a discussion paper to determine the future shape of the chaplaincy program (established by the Howard government as a 3-year program in 2007) and to deal with issues including the requirement that chaplains have a religious affiliation and concerns about the level of training the chaplains get for counselling youth. It proposes to establish a mimimum level of qualification for chaplains.

The paper discusses whether the program should be expanded to allow schools to hire non-religious or secular support staff such as social workers psychologists and youth workers.

The chaplaincy program funds schools who apply to receive up to $20000 a year to pay for chaplaincy.

Clearly this is not an adequate income and the Christian churches provide additional financial support voluntarily.

Usually schools have only one chaplain (if they have one) and therefore only one faith represented.

Nationally 98.5% of chaplains funded under the program are Christian.

In The Grove people of Christian faith represent by far the largest group statistically 60% (figures from the last ABS Census) with people of no religion next 18% and a tiny percentage of Buddhists. 21% aren’t recorded.