Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 190: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the guidelines or procedures laid down by her Department for a situation (details supplied); the mechanisms available to ensure that the student is able to enrol in a second level school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5911/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.

It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of schools that are not in a position to admit all pupils seeking entry to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act. However, in formulating an admissions policy a school must ensure it is lawful. In particular, it must act in accordance with Section 7 of the Equal Status Act 2000 which, subject to very limited exceptions, prohibits schools from discriminating against people in relation to a number of matters including the admission of a pupil to the school. Currently, under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, parents of a student who has been refused enrolment in a school may appeal that decision to the Secretary General of my Department; where an appeal is upheld the Secretary General is empowered to direct the school to enrol the student.

The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The NEWB can be contacted at National Educational Welfare Board, National Headquarters, 16-22 Green Street, Dublin 7 or by telephone at 01-8738700.