Vol. 486 No. 1
908 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science the total number of schools who insist upon children undergoing an assessment test before entering their school; the procedures employed by the Department of Education to monitor the widescale use of these tests; if it is policy that schools are permitted to charge for assessment tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1713/98]
The selection and enrolment of pupils in second level schools is the responsibility of the authorities of the individual school. In 1993, it was agreed between my Department and the school management bodies that the selection of pupils for enrolment at second level should not be based on academic ability and selection on that basis, where used previously, must be discontinued. It was also agreed that schools should disclose their enrolment policies and the criteria used in selecting pupils for enrolment.
Where difficulties arise in the enrolment of a pupil in any school, my Department and the appropriate managerial body will, through the mechanism of a monitoring committee, consider each case with a view to resolving the difficulty following consultation, where necessary, with the school authorities and the appropriate trustees.
Any assessment tests should be confined to students who have already been accepted and should be only for the purpose of assigning them to classes. Charges for such tests in respect of enrolled pupils are permissible only to the extent that the school concerned is not in breach of its obligations under the free education scheme and on the basis that the voluntary nature of such charges has been pointed out to parents by the schools concerned.
