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THE BODY representing Irish primary school principals has called for a “CAO-style” model to govern enrolment into both primary and secondary schools.
The Irish Primary Principals’ Network says proposals to reform entry into Irish schools should take their lead from the college admissions process – and ask pupils to list their preferred secondary schools in order of preference.
The body wants a web-based application system where all children entering primary school, or sixth class pupils moving into second-level education, list their choices for the schools they want to attend.
“Then, parents could get their first, second or third choice, depending on supply and demand factors, in a method similar to the CAO application process for college,” said IPPN director Sean Cottrell.
The calls follow plans from education minister Ruairi Quinn to overhaul the school admissions process, prohibiting policies where schools can choose to prioritise the children or siblings of past pupils, or operate a ‘first come, first served’ model.
Earlier this month Quinn told a conference of secondary school teachers he would be introducing legislation to ensure a more equal admissions system for schools.
The principals’ proposals would only kick in if a school gets more applications than it has space to cater for – and says the model would reduce stress for parents and boards of management by making the admissions process more transparent.
Cottrell said the IPPN wanted a single enrolment application form for all public schools, with nearby schools clustering to form catchment areas and cooperating on their own enrolment criteria.
The association is backing Quinn’s plans which would force schools to stop prioritising students who are the children of former pupils, or the children of current teachers at those schools.
However, the association does want allowances for families who have always lived in one school’s catchment area, but who may now find themselves muscled out if new homes have been built closer to that school, so that those families are not pushed out of their traditional school.
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How about removing religion from having any involvement in schools.
I suspect that maybe Thats part of the idea behind this.
What’s the big problem with preferential treatment for siblings?
There’s no problem with siblings of current pupils – that just makes practical sense when it comes to drop offs and pick ups. However, there are a few issues with preferential treatment of siblings of past pupils – for example it puts children who have recently moved to an area at a big disadvantage when it comes to getting the school of their choice.
I don’t think this will work.
How about building schools in the area they extend houses in. Building a load of new homes in an existing area and not putting in new schools is just daft. putting in CAO style process is not going to solve the problem.
short term answer to a long term problem.
This article has really exasperated me! What the article fails to refer to re: the CAO is the points system. Are we going to ask 11 and 12 year old kids to compete for further education the way we ask 17 and 18 year olds? I realise the need for a fairer admissions system but lets keep the needs and welfare of the children as priority number one! The proposed system begs the question- what are our goals for our education system and facilities because if the kids have to qualify by showing they have certain skills which they are going to school to acquire then it seems we have lost the plot a bit! Anonomous addmissions by all means, competition for places among very young kids NO. Give them a chance to acquire the knowlegde and skills before firing that particular experience at them.
Hi Dearbhla,
I think the thrust of the idea is more so to base a system, similar to the CAO in terms of matching preferences for schools, on supply and demand of places rather than on the need for children to compete for those places based on terms of ability. The idea then being to give preference to those who specified a school as their first choice over those who may have listed that same school as a lower choice, in the event of a shortage of spaces to meet the demand.
“…prohibiting policies where schools can choose to prioritise the children or siblings of past pupils, or operate a ‘first come, first served’ model.”
“… allowances for families who have always lived in one school’s catchment area, but who may now find themselves muscled out if new homes have been built closer to that school, so that those families are not pushed out of their traditional school.”
So if you’re living in the same area for a number of years you probably will get priority, so the past pupil thing will kind of remain. This all doesn’t seem too clear at all at all.
I welcome Quinn’s willingness to try to redress the imbalance in the system. I wouldn’t be his greatest fan by any means. But, at least he’s trying.
In Sweden you get a form sent out when your child is due to start school. You get to list 3 preferences and places are allocated from a central system according to preferences and availability of spaces. Works well I found. Seems quite similar to this idea but I do think preference should be given to children living in the local area. We had a situation a couple of years ago when our son couldn’t get into a local secondary school here in Ireland as he didn’t have a parent a past pupil. He would have had to travel to a different town whilst in the local schools children living an hour away were getting in as their fathers had attended previously. Luckily one school decided to increase their intake that year and he got in, but it wasn’t until May the year he was due to start that he got a place. Very stressful.
Different kids chose schools for different reasons
Not all siblings would want to be in the same school as their older brother or sister but if they DO want to that should be given priority
My eldest daughter chose her new secondary based on the subjects available, the same range of subjects are not available in the school where most of her friends are going in September
The fact that she is now going to attend the school that I attended in my teens is coincidental but she would have been gutted if she had not received a place so i am delighted that being the daughter of a past pupil gave her an edge
Had I a son (Which i dont) that had the potential to be the next Henry Shefflin though, I would imagine he would want to attend St. Flannan’s college (home of hurling in Ennis). I would move to the other side of the town (over beside Flannans) if i needed to do so. Parents will always find a way to get themselves up the lists in schools where there is high demand
Ennis, has 5 secondary schools that i can think of
Only one is single sex, the rest are mixed and most have historically had feeder schools is this going to be abolished under this new system? I.E. Kids who attend a certain primary school generally follow into the associated second level
I do think that the admissions policy should be based on
1) Siblings of current pupils (for convenience for parents)
2) Children of teachers (for convenience of teachers Who are people too)
3) Siblings of past pupils (hand me down uniforms anyone?)
4) Proximity within a small town is one thing but in the country side kids having to drive past one school to get to another because they weren’t accepted into the first is simply silly
I would like to see
5) Children of past pupils (my parents payed for many of the facilities my old school now uses like the concert hall and the sports hall should my children not benefit from them too)
I know and understand that current economics dictate where parents have to live (i.e. where there is work) and I know how lucky I am to be still living in my home town
BUT i dont see why, if there is a school in town where generations of the same family have attended since the days of Adam, that the youngest kids of that family should be denied their place simply because it is not fashionable to allow family ties to give preference to places anymore
Totally agree Angela …
Yeah I think the biggest problem with this would have to be the complications involved in shuttling students from their homes to the schools. It’s fair enough for a university student to have to do so but it would be unfair to make thousands of young teenagers travel out of their local area, where there’s probably a local school. I think an easier solution would be to stream classes within the schools more effectively than is being done at the moment.
How would students be picked then, I’m sorry you Lego skills are not up to scratch you can’t go to school here, … Typical idiotic Irish idea
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