End the government funding of faith workers

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Dear Editor,
Thank you for sharing your online material about the funding of chaplains in schools (‘Government-funded chaplains in faith schools appear to be performing religious activities’, 11 June, 2025, Rationalist Society of Australia).
For some years, I have been committed to seeing an end to the government funding of faith workers. I take this position as a minister in good standing in the Uniting Church.
The principle of a secular society demands the non-preferencing of any religion and of religion generally. And I cannot see how any Christian mission or ministry, other than social services, can be authentic if it relies on public funding.
I hold this view while, in practice, I know that many school chaplains are effective with young people and do not push their religion beyond the ethos of ‘general religious education’ and open-ended reflection on ethics.
I agree with my colleague and friend, Meredith Doig, who gave her opinion that every school child in Australia should learn about religions and about secular humanist philosophy.
Dr Paul Tonson
 
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