The Irish Times reports today that the Government and Educate Together (ET) have clashed over enrolment policies in new schools. Educate Together's policy is that schools should offer places on a first-come, first-served basis. However, the Department of Education requires that any schools opened since June 2011 must prioritise children from the local area.

Schools opened before June 2011 can continue to prioritise based on other criteria, including religion.

In a series of emails to the Department, E.T. representatives expressed concerns about the Department’s directive as it felt that children of no religion living in an area where there is no ET school may be unable to access an E.T. school elsewhere. Educate Together CEO, Paul Rowe, speaking on Newstalk this morning, said that the Department's directive would be more equitable if it applied to existing schools but it only applies to new schools since 2011.

However the Department continues to insist that the schools were set up to meet the demographic need in specific areas and children in those areas should be prioritised.


Details of the correspondence between ET and the Department are available in the full story on the Irish Times

Comments