Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 29 Jan 2003

Vol. 560 No. 1

Written Answers. - Selection of Schools.

John Cregan

Ceist:

474 Mr. Cregan asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the rights of parents to select the secondary school they wish to send their children to; if absolute rights exist; if the board of management of each school sets its own admission rules; if his Department lays down the criteria; if a student is guaranteed a place within a specific catchment area; and if all schools must take a specific quota outside their first choice admissions. [1903/03]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

The selection and enrolment of pupils in second level 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 second level places in an area. This may result, however, 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.

In relation to the application of fair and objective entrance criteria for entry to second level schools my Department has agreed with the three post-primary managerial associations that the selection of pupils for enrolment in second-level schools should not be based on academic ability and selection on that basis, where used heretofore, must be discontinued; under section 15(2)(d) of the Education Act 1998, each school is legally obliged to disclose its enrolment policy and the criteria used in selecting pupils for enrolment to inform parents of the selection procedures and to allay fears of discrimination; the principle of the school working in and for the community it serves should be emphasised. On that basis, emphasis should be placed by post-primary schools on catering, in the first instance, for children from their own communities and catchment areas.

Schools are advised to use some of the following selection criteria in determining how best to frame a selection policy to meet its individual needs viz. priority to pupils from national schools in the area; enrolment on a "first come, first served" basis; random selection on the basis of age of applicants; priority to brothers and sisters of pupils already enrolled in the school; priority to pupils of a particular religious denomination.

Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 provides for an appeal to the Secretary General of my Department where a board of management of a school or a person acting on behalf of the board refuses to enrol a student in the school. An appeal will generally not be admitted unless it is made within 42 calendar days from the date the decision of the board of management was notified to the parent or student concerned. However, a longer period for making appeals may be allowed as an exception where it is accepted that circumstances did not permit the making of an appeal within the 42 day limit.