Written answers

Tuesday, 18 November 2008

9:00 pm

Photo of John CreganJohn Cregan (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 609: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will confirm the person who sets the criteria that establishes whether a primary school is a feeder school to a nearby secondary school; if there are set criteria which stipulates that a primary school in a particular deanery should be a feeder school for another in that same deanery; if the criteria setting out which schools feed which is fixed by his Department or is set by the individual schools; and the help which would be available to a student who wishes to attend a particular secondary school which is in the same deanery as their primary school and in the same deanery in which the student resides yet they are informed that they cannot be accepted as a student as their school is not a feeder school, yet another primary school, which is situated outside the same deanery, is a feeder school. [41111/08]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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In the interest of rational arrangements for the purposes of educational provision, the country generally was divided into geographic districts (catchment areas) each with several primary schools feeding into a post-primary centre with one or more post-primary schools. These areas were drawn up in the late 1960s and were determined following consultation with local educational interests. Parish boundaries, deanery areas etc. would not have been a determining factor in drawing up catchment areas. In major urban areas it is not possible to do a similar exercise as for the rest of the country.

The intention was that these defined districts would facilitate the orderly planning of school provision and accommodation needs. A relatively small number of primary schools are shared between two or more centres. Catchment boundaries may have to be adjusted where, for example, a new post-primary school is established in an area where previously there was none or, conversely, where a "sole provider" school closes due to declining enrolments.

Enrolment in individual post-primary schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. 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. In this regard a board of management may find it necessary to restrict enrolment to children from a particular area or, occasionally, on the basis of some other criterion. It is not unusual for some second-level schools to prioritise named feeder schools in their admissions policies. This often reflects long standing connections between certain schools.

However, in formulating an admissions policy a school must ensure that 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.

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