Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 November 2016
191. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has undertaken any research into the number of schools that employ selection criteria in their school admissions based primarily on religion rather than non-religious selection criteria, such as catchment area. [37109/16]
View answerIn relation to school admissions, it is the Department's responsibility to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in an area. Parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available 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. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
A school's enrolment policy is a matter for school management and it would not be feasible for the Department to examine the enrolment policies of almost 4,000 primary and post primary schools across the country. Instead, the more effective way to deal with this particular issue is to require all schools to publish their admissions policy, so that communities and parents can scrutinise and compare them. This requirement is being enacted through the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016, which recently passed second stage.
Schools are not permitted to discriminate against an applicant for admission on any of the grounds set out in the Equal Status Act, 2000. However, Section 7(3)(c) of the Equal Status Act 2000 provides that an educational establishment does not discriminate where the establishment is a school providing primary or post-primary education to students and the objective of the school is to provide education in an environment which promotes certain religious values, it admits persons of a particular religious denomination in preference to others or it refuses to admit as a student a person who is not of that denomination and, in the case of a refusal, it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.
The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) published a report “Adapting to Diversity: Irish Schools and Newcomer Students" in 2009. This report looked at a broad range of issues in relation to the integration of newcomer pupils in schools.
An element of the overall research considered the effects of admission practices and policies on the distribution of newcomer pupils across schools. It reported that at second level 80 per cent of principals said that all students who apply are usually accepted for admission and at primary level 81 per cent of principals said that all students were accepted.
The Deputy will be aware that the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill was published on 6th July 2016 and passed second stage on 17th November 2016.
Publication of the Bill reflects the commitment in the Programme for Government to publish new School Admissions legislation taking account of current draft proposals and addressing issues including publication of school enrolment policies, an end to waiting lists, introduction of annual enrolment structures, and transparency and fairness in admissions for pupils and their parents.
In bringing this legislation through the Oireachtas, there will be opportunities for members to raise and fully debate all of the relevant issues and I look forward to working with the Houses in this regard.
