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New law to make school admissions easier for children and parents – Bruton
Minister Bruton announcing the Education (admission to Schools) Bill 2016
Education Minister Richard Bruton today announced approval for the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016.
Among other things the new law will:
- Ensure that where a school is not oversubscribed (80% of schools) it must admit all students applying
- Ban waiting lists, thus ending the discrimination against parents who move in to a new area
- Ban fees relating to admissions
- Require all schools to publish their admissions policies, which will include details of the provisions for pupils who decline to participate in religious instruction
- Require all schools to consult with and inform parents where changes are being made to admissions policies
- Explicitly ban discrimination in school admissions
- Provide for a situation where a child (with special needs or otherwise) cannot find a school place, and allow the National Council for Special Education or Tusla to designate a school place for the child
The Minister said:
This legislation is a significant public service reform designed to make it easier for parents to more easily access local schools and to enrol their children in a school that meets their needs.
It will increase the transparency and fairness of school admissions. It makes clear that every school must be welcoming of every young person –regardless of their colour, their abilities or disabilities. It will help to end the soft barriers that some of our schools erect in the way of children with special needs.
The Bill will be introduced to the Oireachtas this week with view to enactment as soon as possible after that.
For more information read the press release here.