Primary schools with adequate resources, both teaching and accomodation, generally admit all pupils who seek entry. Accordingly, most parents are able to have their children enrolled in the school of their first choice.
The managerial authorities of schools not in a position to admit all pupils seeking entry normally implement an enrolment policy and it is their responsibility to devise and implement such a policy. Local circumstances may be such that, from time to time, the board of management of a particular school may find it necessary to restrict enrolment to children from a particular area or to a particular age group or, occasionally, on the basis of some other criterion. My Department will carry out an investigation where it is claimed that a board is operating its enrolment policy in a manner which discriminates against a particular child.
The selection and enrolment of pupils in second level schools is the responsibility of the authorities of the individual school. Following discussions between my Department and school managerial authorities in 1993, it was agreed that selection on the basis of academic ability should not form the basis of enrolment decisions. The agreement provides for the disclosure of selection criteria and the establishment of a non-statutory monitoring mechanism to ensure that the terms of the agreement are implemented in full. The agreement was set out in a circular letter from the Department in December 1993.
Subject to the requirements of my Department about intake numbers and academic and medical requirements for entry, the enrolment of students in colleges of education for primary and home economics teachers is the responsibility of the authorities of the individual college. Since 1992, the admission of students to these colleges is through the CAO, Central Applications Office, on the basis of the normal points system. Mature and postgraduate students are admitted to preservice primary teacher training through separate competitions outside the CAO system.
Under the terms of the Regional Technical College Acts, 1992 and 1994, and the Dublin Institute of Technology Acts, 1992 and 1994, the enrolment policy for regional technical colleges and the Dublin Institute of Technology is a matter for the governing body of the college or institute concerned.
Regulations regarding admission to the university institutions and NCAD are determined by these institutions. Applications for places are made in respect of undergraduate courses by means of the central applications system. For postgraduate courses application is made direct to the institutions.
