Jonathan O'Brien
Question:151. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the procedure in place to ensure a child who has been excluded from school can continue to be educated. [16023/15]
View answerThursday, 23 April 2015
Questions (151)
Written answers
The Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency (EWS) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The EWS may be able to offer assistance and advice on securing a school placement within the pupil's area. The contact details for the EWS is Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency, Floors 2-5 Brunel Building, Heuston South Quarter, Dublin 8, phone number 01-7718500.
The Deputy will be aware that the selection and enrolment of pupils in schools is the responsibility of the authorities of the individual school. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in an area. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. As schools may not have a place for every applicant, a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants.
Under section 15 (2) (d) of the Education Act, 1998, each school is legally obliged to disclose its enrolment policy and to ensure that as regards that policy that principles of equality and the right of parents to send their children to a school of the parents choice are respected.
Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for an appeal by a parent or guardian to the Secretary General of my Department, or in the case of an Educational Training Board (ETB) school to the ETB in the first instance, where a Board of Management of a school, or a person acting on behalf of the Board, refuses to enrol a student in a school, expels a student or suspends a student for 20 or more days in any school year. My Department has no authority to compel a school to admit a pupil, except in the case of an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 being upheld. Application forms for taking a section 29 appeal are available on my Departments website at the following link: http://www.education.ie/en/Parents/Services/Appeal-against-Permanent-Exclusion-Suspension-or-Refusal-to-Enrol/Section-29-Appeals-Application-Form.doc, or by contacting Section 29 Administration Unit, Friars Mill Road, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, phone 0761 108588.
My Department operates a number of home tuition schemes for children without a school place. Home tuition is intended as an interim provision only for children for whom a placement is not available and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to a place in school.
One such scheme is for children who do not have a school place and are without the offer of a school place and for whom a school place is being actively sought. This scheme requires a section of the application form to be completed by an Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) who is an officer of the EWS of the Child and Family Agency, to confirm that the child is without a school place. Application forms for this scheme are available from the EWO.