Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 March 2024
466. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education if a central portal will be established for parents to enrol their children at both primary and second level schools in large towns (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12445/24]
View answer469. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education to detail the process for enrolments to schools under the Limerick area post primary programme; how this programme was initiated; whether a similar programme could be applied to schools in particular areas in Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12461/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 466 and 469 together.
The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, is an important piece of legislation which has introduced a more parent-friendly, equitable and consistent approach to how school admissions policy operates for the almost 4,000 primary and post-primary schools.
Parents have the right to 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 will 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.
The act requires schools to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. Schools have discretion in relation to their admission criteria and how they are applied. The criteria to be applied by schools and the order of priority are a matter for the schools themselves.
The analysis of the applications for enrolment provides clarity on duplicates and the extent to which families applied to multiple schools which is quite a common feature. Good coordination between schools can help ensure that this is managed and worked through at the earliest possible stage of the annual enrolment process. The categorisation of applicants by each school in accordance with its enrolment policy also helps to provide clarity on the extent to which the enrolment pressure is driven by local demand or in some cases by applications from outside the immediate area served by the school.
In order to facilitate an efficient admission process for schools and applicants, the 2018 admission to school act allows schools to share information relating to the dates an application for admission was received and made by the school, including the date an offer was accepted by the applicant and data relating to a student’s identifying personal details (to ensure that it is the same person applying to both schools). It is open to schools concerned in a locality to agree and put in place arrangements for any sharing of information under the act, and for the admission of students. Similar arrangements are currently in place in Ennis, and in Howth.
