2017 marks the 10th anniversary of public school chaplaincy in NSW.

In 2007 the Australian government established the National Schools Chaplaincy Programme (NSCP) which kickstarted School Chaplaincy in NSW public schools.

Since then NSW has experienced a four-fold increase in the number of School Chaplains, supporting local public schools, with thousands of students, parents and teachers impacted across the state.

“Chaplaincy has a long history in the formation of the state however until a decade ago the concept of a School Chaplain in a public school was virtually unknown in NSW” says James Flavin, General Manager of Generate Ministries, a provider of School Chaplains in NSW.

“Every week Chaplains have nearly 2,000 formal conversations with students, staff and parents. Every term Chaplains deliver 4,000 program sessions covering issues including relationships, grief and loss, family breakdown, bullying, resilience and school disengagement.”

School Chaplains are trained to provide one-on-one care, mentoring and support for students, parents and staff. They run specific programs tailored to the needs of the school.