Changes afoot for Ireland’s ‘baptism barrier’

Education Minister Richard Bruton

 

By Evan Short

Ireland’s Minister for Education has insisted that changes to deal with the “baptism barrier” in Irish schools is on his agenda.

Under current laws, schools can discriminate on the basis of religion when it comes to admissions - this when there are more applications than places.

The policy has come in for criticism in recent years, particularly with the changes to Irish society brought about by immigration.

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The minister, Richard Bruton, said it was unfair that publicly funded religious schools can give preference to children of their own religion ahead of children of no religion who may live in the catchment area.

“It is not being put on the long finger,” Bruton told the Newstalk Breakfast radio show.

“The aim is to make Ireland have the best education service in Europe.

“We have to recognize that Ireland has changed substantially. We need to be accommodating at a time when 96 percent of schools are denominational.”

The minister set out possible measures for dealing with the issue at primary school level.

These include a catchment area approach, prohibiting religious schools giving preference to children of their own religion who live outside their catchment area; a quota system for religious schools, as well as religious schools being banned from using religion as a basis for admission.

Fianna Fáil Education spokesperson, Thomas Byrne, aid Minister Bruton was floating ideas without taking any real action to change the current situation.

“While the minister clearly enjoys talking about the subject, he has entirely failed to take any action to implement change,” Byrne said.

“The Oireachtas Education Committee is in the middle of carrying out a consultation on this issue and has held hearings before Christmas and will have further hearings shortly. Then it is envisaged that we will legislate.”

However, the minister’s remarks have been welcomed by Sinn Féin.

Carol Nolan TD said the problem was not an issue for the vast majority of schools though for those which are oversubscribed, particularly in urban areas, it was an issue.

“I welcome the minister’s apparent shift in position and his intention to examine this issue,” Nolan said.

 

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