Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I think there are a number of elements to that question, many of which are incorrect in their assumptions. It is of course completely correct that schools should primarily be places of learning. It is essential that schools be effective places of learning, that students feel safe in those schools and that students are supported in those schools. They are the objectives of the Safe Schools program and a number of other initiatives that the government support to help students in those environments, and what we want to do is make sure that those objectives are being met.

Senator Dastyari, you tried to extrapolate your own view in relation to the School Chaplaincy Program. It is very clear that proselytising in schools is not permitted under the School Chaplaincy Program. The guidelines for that program are crystal clear in that regard. In fact, it is another complementary measure that helps to support school environments to provide assistance to students, particularly students who may be at risk of bullying for all manner of reasons. All of these measures should be looked at as measures to make school environments safe places of learning.