Dáil Question on proposed legislation for school enrolment procedures

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plan regarding the upcoming legislation on enrolment policy; what the legislation will mean for some of the   more common enrolment policies such as siblings already attending schools, the child’s age; the catchment area; and if there will be a procedure for parents to enrol their children in more than one school in order to ensure their chances of receiving a place in the locality; and if he will make a statement on the matter.    

Reply from Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn T.D.

In bringing forward legislative proposals, I do not want to unnecessarily intrude into how schools do their business. Our aim is to ensure that schools decide on applications for enrolment in a structured, fair and transparent manner. The legislative proposals will be published in draft form to facilitate a full public discussion. I will be reflecting carefully on the views expressed in the consultation process to ensure they strike the right balance between school autonomy and fairness in our education system.

The draft legislation will make it clear that some methods of controlling admissions that are not fair or transparent will no longer be permitted. Other than these methods, schools will continue to have autonomy on the oversubscription criteria that they operate. Any school that is faithful to the Education Act in relation to providing maximum access will have nothing to fear from the proposals.