The vast majority of schools in Ireland, including Catholic schools, are not oversubscribed, Fr Michael Drumm, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Council for Education, has said.
Schools
“are open to all children whose parents apply for admission. In the
minority of cases where schools are oversubscribed the school must
publish the criteria that will be used to select students,” he added.
Fr Drumm was responding to a query from The Irish Times following reports yesterday that Ombudsman for Children Emily Logan had called for an end to “religious discrimination in schools.”
In a submission to the Department of
Education on draft legislation on school admissions she said
denominational schools should not have the right to discriminate on the
basis of religion.
Fr Drumm agreed “totally” with
Ms Logan when she expressed concern at proposals to get rid of the
“section 29” appeals mechanism.