The Minister for Education has backed down under pressure from Christopher Pyne by failing to stand up against the new rules for school chaplains, Greens Education spokesperson Nick McKim MP said today.
"Previously schools had the choice to employ secular support workers under the scheme, but now will be forced to employ a religious chaplain or miss out entirely," Mr McKim said.
"Mr Rockliff is now saying to schools that unless they are prepared to employ a religious chaplain he is happy for them to go without."
"This is a blow to school autonomy and a blow to the 12 government schools that currently employ a secular worker under the program."
"Mr Rockliff has weakly succumbed to Mr Pyne's bullying, and has failed to stand up for the right of our government schools to make an informed choice about how best to support their students," Mr McKim said.
