New entry rules will prevent schools from ‘cherry-picking’ pupils
September 2, 2013
THE biggest shake-up ever of school entrance rules will ban booking deposits, while putting a strict cap on the number of past-pupils’ children who can be enrolled.
Key legislation published today will radically change the practices schools may employ when it comes to selecting pupils. Schools will no longer be allowed to charge parents booking deposits of up to € 200 under the rules unveiled by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn.
New laws are on the way setting out exactly which practices both primary and post-primary schools may employ when it comes to enrolling pupils. They are designed to give greater clarity to parents, and ensure that enrolment policies and procedures apply fairly to all children.
About one in five schools has selective admissions policies, using criteria such as academic ability or family connections to prioritise who they enrol. A key focus of the reform is to stop such “cherry- picking”, which can result in the exclusion of certain children, such as those with special educational needs.
Another priority is to ensure that children who are newcomers to a community are not at any disadvantage when it comes to getting into a local school.
The ‘firstcome, firstserved’ approach has had the unintended consequence of uneven concentrations of children from migrant families in schools in some communities.
The changes are also aimed at eliminating the costly and cumbersome Section 29 appeals process, the mechanism currently available to parents who want to challenge a school’s refusal to enrol.
But the new ‘ open door’ admissions framework will force some schools to hold a lottery to decide who to enrol, in situations when demand exceeds the number of available places. Key reforms in legislation being published today include:
- A ban on the widespread use by secondary schools of asking parents for money – usually between €50-€200 – in order to hold a place.
- A limit of 25pc on the number of past pupils’ children that a school may enrol in any school year.
- Ending lengthy waiting lists by setting October 1 of the previous year as the start date for accepting applications.
- A ban on interviews of parents or children ahead of enrolments.
- A simplified school- level arrangement for enrolment appeals.
Schools will continue to be allowed to give preference to brothers or sisters of existing or former pupils to avoid disrupting families. And there will be no change to the current arrangements that allow schools to prioritise pupils on the grounds of religion.
The new laws will have little or no impact on the 80pc of schools that currently accommodate all comers, but will force changes for the 20pc that use selection criteria.
The proposals, which have been the subject of discussion and consultation for two years, will now go through the usual legislative process before enactment. This will include consideration by the Oireachtas education committee.
Announcing the proposed legislation, Mr Quinn said he believed “there is a better way of dealing with school admissions”.
He added: “These measures are about what might be described as ‘good housekeeping’ and will bring about greater transparency, fairness and consistency in the way schools operate their admission processes.”
He said while he didn’t want to overly intrude in day-to-day school management, he said the proposed new regulatory framework struck a balance between school autonomy and fairness in the education system.
www.independent.ie
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com 2 Meán Fómhair 2013
Irish Independent – Katherine Donnelly
