Funding for chaplains in state schools  Wednesday 1 November
2006 8:50AM (view full episode)  Stephen talks with Julie Bishop
MP about the government's controversial $90 million funding
scheme for state schools to recruit chaplains   Stephen
Crittenden: Well almost as much of a red button issue as the
Sheikh this week is the proposal to fund chaplains in schools. I
asked Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop whether the Howard
government was playing wedge politics, or catch-up, given that a
number of State Labor governments have been funding chaplains
for years.  Julie Bishop: Not at all. Chaplains are already
making a valuable contribution to school communities, but only
in some States. So we are keen to provide that choice to be able
to establish or enhance chaplaincy services for all schools in
all States across Australia, both non-government and government
schools. So essentially we're offering to extend existing
chaplaincy programs or establish new programs where they're not
currently existing.  Stephe