Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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I draw the attention of the Minister to a fault in what we call the post-primary schools common application system which is in place in Limerick. By and large, it works pretty well. It sees sixth class students list nine schools in order of their preference and they are usually offered a place in one of these schools. I understand the system is unique to Limerick and tries to do away with the class-based issues that unfortunately still arise, particularly in the city. However, it clearly does not work for everyone. Every applicant has to list nine schools in order of preference. Often, many of the nine schools included in the application will be totally unsuitable due to their location or other reasons, but pupils still have to list nine schools.

One family got in touch with me last week in a highly distressed state about the situation in which they found themselves. The child in question had submitted his application for a secondary school place like all of his friends, but last Wednesday he received a total of nine rejection letters from all of the schools included in his application form. I have copies of the letters before me and can count them from one to nine. He also received a letter telling him that there was no place for him in any of the schools and asking him to apply to two schools he had not put on his list which were not in the area. One is 30 km away and the other 27. He was the only child in his class who did not receive a school place acceptance letter. He was very distraught and did not know what to tell his friends when they asked him what school place he had received. He could not answer because he had been offered no school place. The Minister must imagine a 12 year old child receiving nine rejection letters and no offer of a school place.

His mother, as one can imagine, was really upset and distressed about it and did not know what to tell her son. They also received a letter which was very distressing to them from the Limerick Education Centre which referred to their "son-ward", meaning ward of court. That is totally unacceptable; it added to the family's stress. It is simply not acceptable and I ask that the Minister contacts the Limerick Education Centre directly to ensure that no letters using the word "ward" are sent to families to which that word does not apply.

The rejection letters received included the child's first choice school, which his family can literally see from the front door of his house. I know that well, because I know the family and know exactly where they live and I know the school in question. The primary school he attends is a feeder school of that school, so he should not have been refused. No young child should ever get nine rejection letters and no offer of a place and be left to search frantically for a solution.

I am raising this Topical Issue in the hope that changes will be made to ensure that this will not happen again. It is a problem that students have to put down nine schools in the first place: some of these schools are 30 to 40 minutes outside of Limerick city. If a child is offered a place in one of those schools he or she will have major difficulties in getting to and from the schools. It places a burden on parents who have to get their children out and back to those schools while trying to go to work themselves. I have been working closely with the family and the child's primary school. Both were very anxious that this be brought to the attention of the Minister as soon as possible. I hope that something can be done for this child and his family to ensure that he can access one of the schools he has chosen. I appreciate that not every child will be accepted into his or her first choice school, but to receive nine rejection letters and no offer of a place in secondary school is disgraceful and should never be allowed to happen again.

To clarify, I do not want to see the system abolished. It was brought in for good reason and usually it works well. However, something has to be done to ensure this does not happen again. No child should experience this ever again. Can the Minister clarify if he is aware of these issues in the system and outline what he can do to ensure that something like this does not happen again?

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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This is a very difficult issue for the student and the family in question. I appreciate that and I am happy to take their details from Deputy Quinlivan later and follow up directly on this matter. I want to give a little bit of background on the system, for the record. Overall it is a very good system and I agree with the Deputy on its overall benefits and co-ordination. However, we are open to improving it.

I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the position in relation to the common application system, CAS, for children entering secondary school in Limerick. The Deputy will be aware that a CAS was agreed between the post-primary schools in the Limerick area. This system has been in place since 2005. The CAS is the process by which the admission process for sixth class primary school children wishing to enrol in the participating post-primary schools is managed locally. There are currently 17 post-primary schools participating in the system. This administrative system ensures that a co-ordinated approach can be taken to the enrolment processes of the schools in the area.

This system is facilitated through the Limerick Education Centre on behalf of the Limerick Principals and Deputy Principals’ Association with support from my Department and to date has been working very well. The Limerick Education Centre meets with the Limerick Principals and Deputy Principals Association twice annually to review the system. On average, the centre manages between 1,750 and 1,900 applications annually and liaises with 17 post-primary schools and over 140 primary schools. Data from the system indicates that 97.5% of children received their first, second or third choice of school for the 2019-20 school year. Over 95% of pupils received their first choice.

Whilst this administrative system ensures that a co-ordinated approach can be taken to enrolment processes in the area, each school authority involved in the Limerick CAS has, in accordance with the Education Act 1998, autonomy in relation to its own enrolment policy and the specific selection criteria it applies. This may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. The criteria to be applied by schools in such circumstances are a matter for the schools themselves.

This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 provides for an appeal by a parent or guardian to the Secretary General of my Department, or in the case of an Education and Training Board, ETB, school to the ETB in the first instance, where a board of management of a school, or a person acting on behalf of the board, refuses to enrol a student in a school. An appeal should be made within 42 calendar days of receipt of the board of management’s decision. This appeals process is also available to any applicant using the Limerick CAS who has been refused enrolment to a school.

The Education (Admission to Schools) Act was signed into law in 2018. The Act, on commencement of the relevant sections, will require schools to enrol a child where the school has places. The Act will help to support the admission processes in schools and provide greater transparency, which will help parents with their understanding of how they will work. My Department has begun the process of consultation with the education partners on the regulations that will be put in place alongside the commencement of sections of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister and also the officials from his Department I spoke to earlier today who have been assisting me on the issue. I am almost sure that the system is unique to Limerick and that no similar schools application system operates in other parts of the country, but if they do perhaps those systems should be investigated as well. I agree that the system works pretty well, but I am concerned that another child next year might receive nine rejection letters. That should not happen. It is important that the Minister's Department engages with the Limerick Education Centre to ensure it has the resources it requires to administer the CAS, and perhaps the Department can help to iron out these problems.

Finishing primary school and going into secondary school should be an exciting time for children. It should not be as stressful as it has been for this child. The outcome of this must be that no child gets nine rejection letters and is subsequently left frantically searching for somewhere to go for secondary school. I thank the Minister again for coming here to listen to the concerns of parents and schools in Limerick. I hope he can introduce some of the small changes required to ensure this does not happen again.

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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I am happy to take the details of this case. The transition from primary school to secondary school is hard enough in itself. It is a big step up and receiving nine letters of rejection is not in keeping with the idea of a smooth flow from primary to secondary level. I reassure the Deputy that once I receive the details I will follow up directly with my officials. The Deputy mentioned the uniqueness of this system. From my own research into it I can see that it is an incredible system, where 17 post-primary schools and 140 primary schools are co-ordinated in an attempt to get the correct fit for pupils. The percentage returns, where 95% of students get their first choice, is incredible. We must also be careful that the 4%, 5% or 1%, even if it is only one person, is catered for. Perhaps with further inspection we can find a way through this issue. I am confident we can do that.