Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 May 2018
73. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure there is no discrimination in the admissions policy to publicly funded schools; the timeframe in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22460/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that I published the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 last year. The Bill aims to introduce a more parent-friendly, equitable and consistent approach to how school admissions policy operates for the almost 4,000 recognised primary and post-primary schools in the country and to ensure a fair and balanced school admission process for all pupils. The main provisions of the Bill include measures to:
- Ensure that where a school is not oversubscribed (approximately 80% of schools) it must admit all students applying;
- Ban waiting lists, thus ensuring parents who move to a new area are not disadvantaged;
- Ban fees relating to admissions in non-fee charging schools;
- Require all schools to publish their admissions policies, which will include details of their arrangements for pupils who decline to participate in religious instruction;
- Require all schools to consult with and inform parents where changes are being made to their admissions policies;
- Provide for a situation where a child (with special needs or otherwise) cannot find a school place, and allow the National Council for Special Education or Tusla (Child and Family Agency) to designate a school place for the child.
I have also publicly expressed my views that it is unfair that preference is given by publicly-funded religious schools to children of their own religion who might live some distance away, ahead of children of a different religion or of no religion who live close to the school.
I also believe that it is unfair that parents, who might otherwise not do so, feel pressure to baptise their children in order to gain admission to the local school and I intend to reform the school admissions system in relation to the role that religion can play in that process.
However I am also conscious that we need to provide protections to ensure that children of minority religions can continue to access primary schools of their particular minority religion or a similar minority religion.
Accordingly I am bringing forward a Report Stage amendment to the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 to remove religion as a criterion which can be used in school admissions to primary schools, but with protections to ensure that children of minority religions can continue to access primary schools of their particular minority religion or a similar minority religion.
As I have stated previously this is a complex area and there are no easy solutions to this problem but I believe that the approach taken is a reasonable and proportionate approach to balance the rights of all.
