Written answers
Tuesday, 11 February 2025
Department of Education and Skills
School Admissions
Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
324. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if any record is kept of children who join a secondary school in the middle of the school year due to moving home, returning to Ireland, expulsion from another school, other reasons; if, so, to provide that data, including the number of children who have been refused a school place in such circumstances and the reasons for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4840/25]
Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
325. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if any record is kept of children who join a primary school in the middle of the school year due to moving home, returning to Ireland, expulsion from another school, other reasons; if, so, to provide that data, including the number of children who have been refused a school place in such circumstances and the reasons for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4841/25]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
I propose to take Questions Nos. 324 and 325 together.
In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an admissions policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018. Under the provisions of the Act, school admission policies are approved by the Patron, following consultation with staff and parents of children who are attending the school. The school’s admissions policy is published on the school’s website. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in that area.
Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for an appeal where a board of management, or a person acting on behalf of the board of management (normally the school principal) refuses to admit a student to a school. Where the decision to refuse admission is due to the school being oversubscribed, a review of the decision by the board of management must be sought in the first instance. Following a review it is open to the parent to appeal to the independent appeals committee.
Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) is the agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. TESS can be contacted at 01-7718500 () for assistance. More information is available on their website on the following link: www.tusla.ie/tess/tess-ews/
My Department does not hold the information requested by the Deputy.
Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
326. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the options available to children who have been refused a school place in all local schools when returning to Ireland during the middle of the school year due to lack of capacity locally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4842/25]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) is under the remit of my Department since 2021. TESS operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation and retention. TESS has three strands namely the statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS) and the two school support services the Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) scheme and the School Completion Programme (SCP). The three TESS strands work together collaboratively with schools, parents and guardians and other relevant services to achieve the best educational outcomes for children and young people.
The EWS is the statutory service that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The local service is delivered through the national network of Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs).
Referrals to the EWS may be made throughout the school year. A referral for a child without a school place is prioritised by the service and an EWO is assigned immediately to support families who are in this situation. It will remain an open case until such time as a school place is offered and accepted.
The Home Tuition Grant Scheme is a short-term measure available to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school.
Home tuition is provided as an interim measure only, for children for whom a placement in a recognised school is not currently available and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to a school placement. Aspects of the scheme differ, depending on the reason for the application.
My Department operates four categories of home tuition:
- Home tuition for children with special educational needs and on medical grounds:www.gov.ie/en/service/d15f58-home-tuition/#home-tuition-for-children-with-special-educational-needs-and-medical-grounds
- Maternity-related absences: www.gov.ie/en/service/d15f58-home-tuition/#home-tuition-for-students-on-maternity-related-absences
- No School Place (NSP) Home Tuition Scheme: www.gov.ie/en/service/d15f58-home-tuition/#home-tuition-for-children-with-no-school-placensp
- Children in Care (CIC) Home Tuition Scheme: www.gov.ie/en/service/d15f58-home-tuition/#home-tuition-for-children-in-carecic
Application forms for the home tuition scheme for children who are temporarily without a school place, who are without an offer of a school place and who are actively seeking a school placement in a recognised school, are available from the local EWO or the appointed social worker. The EWS can assist a family when applying for home tuition if the child is without a school placement. Home tutors are engaged by the parents/guardian of the child who is to receive tuition and the tutor has no contractual relationship with my Department.
In order to plan for school place needs, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department's projections of school place requirements.
It is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not always be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:
- Duplication of applications
- School of choice
- Single sex schools
- External draw
My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children and young people seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
No comments