From the Drum / ABC

By Scott Stephens

There is no surer way of bringing the simmering debate about the role of religion in Australia to a full boil than by invoking the money and tax concessions given by government to fund certain religious activities.

But under the current arrangement, because of the top-down provision of government funds, the mediation of state-level providers (such as Scripture Union), the lack of adequately (by which I mean theologically and pastorally) trained chaplains, and the concern to avoid the appearance of publicly-funded "proselytising," the relationship between the chaplain and the school is marred from the outset.

...

Not only are schools left vulnerable to those that would use chaplaincy as a kind of ruse to funnel children into their churches, but even the more honest chaplains are left uncertain about their role in the life of the school, and frequently find themselves being enlisted as a teacher's aid or, worse, a general dogsbody.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/20/3196245.htm

I would say here that Scott Stephens in this article is barking at the wrong tree in regard to the "secularists" but more of this later on...