New school enrolment policy

Following the furore last year over the enrolment policies in Porterstown parish, which achieved national prominence when parents of local children picketed the Dáil, the Catholic Church has announced a new policy on school enrolments which is to be introduced on a pilot basis in the Porterstown parish for the coming school year.

According to a letter circulated to parents in the parish “in the interest of balanced integration, at least two thirds (126) of the 189 Junior Infant places [in the two parish schools of St. Mochta’s and St. Patrick’s] will be offered to Roman Catholic children, with up to one third (63) of the available places being offered to children of other faiths and none”.

While this may seem like a major concession, it should be pointed out that in the existing infant classes 29.75% of the pupils (56) are non-catholic, which generally speaking means that they are non-Irish or children of non-Irish parents.

Under the new policy “all Roman Catholic children who turn four years of age by the birth date of the 126th eldest Roman Catholic applicant will qualify for a place in one of the two schools

“The 63 remaining places will then be offered to children of other faiths and none who are four years of age on or before this date. If more than 63 children of other faiths and none qualify, the oldest 63 children will have precedence. If fewer than 63 applicants qualify, the remainder of the 63 places will be offered to applicants of all faiths and none strictly in order of age, priority to the eldest.”

Interestingly, the new Scoil Choilm which is also being run on an interim basis under the patronage of the Catholic Church for children from Porterstown parish does not form part of the new policy.

Children enrolled in Scoil Choilm are bussed each day to a temporary premises in Blanchardstown Village adjoining Connolly Hospital. The vast majority of children in this school are “of other faiths and none.”

 

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