Akbar says they have not removed chaplains from schools but the churches have to pay for them

Minster for Education Rosy Akbar has confirmed that government has not removed chaplains from schools and boarding allowances are still allocated in this financial year.

This is after SODELPA Parliamentarian Ro Teimumu Kepa claimed in parliament that chaplains have been removed from government schools.

Ro Teimumu had said that in 2018, 25% of drug cases in schools were in primary schools while 75% were in high schools.

She says proper and professionally skilled proactive intervention was not available in these schools because funding for school counselors have been ceased with no budgetary allocation.

Responding to these claims, Akbar says the government has only removed chaplains from its payroll and have negotiated with churches who have agreed to pay the chaplains for their presence in schools.