Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 January 2018
96. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department will streamline and revise secondary schools' admissions systems in Wexford town to avoid a multiplicity of offers being made to prospective students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2475/18]
View answer98. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to introduce a common admission rule for prospective students applying for places at Wexford town secondary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2477/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 96 and 98 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 was published in July 2016. The Bill, which passed Committee Stage on 28th June 2017 and will shortly proceed to Report Stage, is an important piece of legislation which strives to create a new more parent-friendly, equitable and consistent approach to how school admissions policy operates for the almost 4,000 primary and post-primary schools in this country.
The Bill provides an over-arching framework for greater transparency and consistency in school enrolment generally and thereby gives greater confidence to parents that the admission criteria laid down by schools and the procedures used by them are legitimate, reasonable and fair.
The Bill will provide a basis for a more efficient enrolment process for schools generally. It includes a provision that the Minister may direct two or more schools to co-operate with each other in the admission process to provide for a more effective and efficient use of resources.
The Bill also provides for schools to share information with each other in respect of applications received, offers made and offers accepted for the purposes of facilitating the efficient admission of students. The provision incudes a capacity for a Board of Management to share information with another board or patron in respect of applications for admission and offers of admission that have been made or accepted.
These provisions seek to address the practice of parents making applications or accepting offers for multiple schools and should make the enrolment process more effective and efficient for both schools and applicants.
