The Church of England are putting in place plans to increase the number of its chaplaincies within Britain’s Further Education colleges.

|TOP|It is expected that the Church will look to double the number of its chaplaincies over the coming four years.

Currently Further Education colleges cater for up to 43 percent of young people, and are thought by many as the forgotten element of the national education system, report the Church of England newspaper.

Bishop Stephen Venner, speaking on the ‘Pushing Further Report’ which was recently published by the Board of Education, insisted that the Church of England revamp its outreach to this sector.

He said, “The old model – of the local Vicar going in to meet the Principal occasionally, and running an annual carol service – will simply not do. It is inadequate to meet student needs, and is unfair to incumbents, many of whom do not have any experience of the FE and find the atmosphere, full of young people, hooded or not, intimidating.”|AD|

Bill Rammell, Britain’s Education Minister recently greeted the role of religious groups in Further Education, and stated his hope for there to be a chaplain in every Further Education College.

Bishop Venner emphasised the fact that Britain was mourning the anniversary of the 7/7 bombings in London, and he said, “It may be that concern over 9/11 and 7/7, together with examples of violent behaviour in some areas of the young, have led to the recognition of the new importance of faith in the lives of many FE students.”

However, the bishop also pointed out that chaplaincies had to attempt to cater for the wider cosmopolitan community within Further Education colleges, and therefore urged for them to go ahead with more multi-faith programme.

The second–most senior member of the Church of England, Archbishop of York, Rev John Sentamu, however, voiced the opinion that many also held, that setting up multi-faith chaplaincies would be opposed by many.

Archbishop Sentamu said, “There is no point being a fisherman if you simply tell the fish that you are around.

“There is a great responsibility to be gatekeepers or spiritual links for our young people.”