Queensland school chaplains' job description includes converting students to Christianity, but education department says they can't SCHOOL chaplains are told they have to connect students with churches - given parental or caregiver permission - despite a ban on them evangelising or trying to convert children in state schools. An SU Qld (Scripture Union Queensland) school chaplain "profile and role statement" lists essential duties as "facilitate Christian activities on school campuses with voluntary student participation," "liaise between the school and local Christian churches" and "connect students with local Christian churches with parents'/caregivers' permission." Should chaplains leave religion out of it? Australian Secular Lobby spokesman Hugh Wilson said the position descriptions clearly and openly required chaplains to evangelise and convert students, but Education Queensland said the "essential" duties could be conducted without doing either. Under EQ procedures chaplains are not allowed to evangelise or try to convert students. Funding for chaplains rather than education Queensland Teachers Union president Kevin Bates and Queensland Association of State School Principals president Hilary Backus expressed concerns about the essential roles, saying they did not align with the expectation of school communities that chaplains provided pastoral care and support for staff and students and did not evangelise. But Mrs Backus said it was also important to acknowledge the brilliant work chaplains did in schools, particularly when there was a critical incident. SU Qld CEO Peter James said a school chaplain's role stipulated they were to provide spiritual support, along with social and emotional support, and denied they proselytised. "So the role of a chaplain is not to convert, the role of a chaplain it is to support, and if the child needs help and wants, and has parental consent, to explore that, then the chaplain is there for them," he said.