PERSONAL SUBMISSION ON SCHOOL ENROLMENT
POLICIES
Introduction
We welcome the opportunity to make a submission to the Department of Education and Skills on this
issue and thank the Minister for bringing the public consultation of this document forth.
Background
We note the two research reports which are referenced by the consultation document: the “Audit of
school enrolment policies by Regional Offices Service”, November 2007; and the ESRI’s “Adapting to
Diversity: Irish Schools and Newcomer Students”, June 2009.
While both of these are excellent pieces of work, they are, unfortunately, now outdated. Some of the
local schools in our area have changed their enrolment policies three times since these pieces of
research were conducted, and they are not isolated incidents. The research no longer reflects the
situation on the ground.
Context for Local Areas and Fee-paying vs. Non-fee paying
This consultation process by the Department is timely given an increasing population, a more diverse
population, and the need to ensure equality of access and opportunity. This is also taking place
against a backdrop of changing case law on this and related issues.
We feel that there is also a need to ensure that the objective as stated, i.e. that the Department
provide for education places within a local area, is adequately reflected in the conclusions of the
Department’s consultation.
We note that there are two issues with this objective: (i) What does the Department define as a “local
area”, and (ii) are the places provided in the local area within fee-paying schools or non-fee paying
schools?
In relation to the “local area”, is it defined by a school size per population base, or by a defined
geographic area? This is important considering the urban/rural balance and providing and
understanding as to what the Department of Education’s obligations are. It is also important in
defining as to what distance a child is expected to travel within their “local area” to access a school
place taking into account their parents linguistic and religious preferences.
The second important clarification relates to places to be provided by the Department of Education
which are de facto free education places, i.e. in the few areas of the State where there is a heavy
concentration of fee paying schools, that sufficient places are available in the non-fee paying sector in
the “local area” so that parents are not obliged either to go into debt to provide a place for their child in
the “local area” or be forced to travel outside their area for their education.
Our local area has lost over 1,000 free places in schools over the last two decades due to the closure
of schools (i.e. Rosyln Park, Sandymount High School, St. Mary’s Haddington Road). This has
particularly affected places for girls in the Sandymount, Irishtown and Haddington Road areas. This
has also been significant for newcomer families, and for established families who cannot benefit from
the Past Pupil Rule due to the closure of these schools. This is unprecedented in the rest of Dublin,
who have seen an increase in the number of school places over the same period.
When you take into account that our area has also seen an increase in population over this period,
and that the Department has announced that it plans to locate a new primary school in the area, it will
place additional pressure on secondary school places.
We fully support the principles in the Equality Act underpinning the basis for provision of enrolment in
Irish schools, and see that it is a fundamental cornerstone of a future National Enrolment Policy.
We support the statement set out in the document that admission to school is not based on a pupil’s
academic skills.
We note page 15 on the issue of preference and that a student may readily find an alternative. We
wish to note our previous comment that a place needs to be within a “local area” as defined (or to be
defined) and that place fulfills the designation of a free education place. In certain areas, therefore,
places may not be readily available due to an admissions policy being exclusionary to the local
population who live nearest the school and other school places may not be readily available, thus
causing huge stress on parents and pupils alike.
Section 1.3 Options for Legislation: Guiding
Considerations
We note the considerations set forth in Section 1.3.
We wish to ensure that “a range of appropriate measures at local and national level to ensure
compliance” has the force of legislation behind it. In particular, issues pertaining to local areas which
are unique due to historical reasons must be able to be dealt with sufficient vigour by the Department
to avoid exclusionary practices by the school in question stating it is a private entity with the right to
set its own practices.
Part 3 Regulations
We feel, given the complexity and range of issues to be dealt with, as well as the range of school
types, i.e. primary and post-primary, that it would be reasonable for explicit regulations to be
developed on the context of an enrolment policy, including the content of what is permissible and not
permissible, and to regulate the procedures and practices involved in such policies.
3.2 Content of an enrolment policy
We note and welcome Section 3.2.3 Financial contributions to schools.
3.2.5 Over subscription
We consider the criteria to be used in the event of oversubscription to be vital in determining the
nature and make up of the Irish school community in the 21st Century.
In particular, the situation which has arisen in some schools, the past pupil (mother/father rule)
gaining priority over a local child has created a distortion of the natural and historical relationship that
a school has with its natural hinterland and local community.
In this context, these schools have become citadels – citadels outside the norms of the local
community, which are unassailable and unusable, in particular, by newcomer families. The resulting
dispersion of local children to far flung schools weakens community bonds, creates greater traffic
chaos and results in students who have far longer travel times and thus less time for activities in their
own local areas or home life. This issue needs to be addressed urgently.
Conclusion
The most important issues for us are:
1. Clarification by the Department of the term “local area”.
2. The need to ensure that there are sufficient free places available in schools in the local area.
3. The Past Pupil Rule (Mother/Father Rule) is exclusionary.
We hope that you will give consideration to these views.
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