The stressful reality of securing a post-primary school place

Sixth class marks a critical milestone in a child’s academic and social life: the transition from primary to post-primary school. It starts long before children complete the final year of their primary schooling, with families engaging with the application process for post-primary school as soon as their child starts sixth class.

Conversations about this important phase in young people’s lives are critical to supporting them in making this transition between the two school systems. However, securing a place in local post-primary schools can be challenging for some, resulting in a process carrying with it undue stress and worry for children, their families and for schools who bear the brunt of such emotional turmoil.

Children are no sooner in the door of sixth class when conversations among parents swiftly turn to the concern and anxiety of securing a place in the local post-primary school, particularly in localities where schools are over-subscribed. While this is not an issue for some, the reality for many parents of children soon to transition to post-primary education is that this is a stressful and worrying situation. I have no doubt it is equally as stressful for post-primary schools fielding phone calls, emails and inquiries from parents concerned about whether their child has a chance of being considered for a place.

For some families, particularly in areas of the country where schools have capacity for the number of children applying, the process is relatively straightforward. Families apply to their local post-primary school and are offered a place. Supply meets demand and the process runs relatively smoothly.

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While recent changes to admissions policies have addressed some issues relating to equality of access, the process of applying for and securing a place has become convoluted. Many families take a scattergun approach to applications, applying for as many schools as possible. This exacerbates an already pressurised process.

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At the crux of the issue is when supply does not meet demand and children have to compete against each other for a place in their chosen post-primary school. This is not something schools desire nor choose; their admissions policy assigns a number/position to a child determining whether they are (a) offered a place, (b) positioned at the upper end of a waiting list with some chance of securing a place or (c) positioned on the waiting list with little, if any, hope of getting into the school.

The administrative load for schools is significant, as they process applications, determine rank order, send out first round offers, field queries from concerned families, manage expectations and process acceptance documentation until all places are filled.

The emotional load for families navigating this process is profound. Parents/guardians take a variety of approaches to the application process, ranging from hoping for the best to those who are more involved, tracking information and progress through the system. All approaches mask parental/guardian concern and worry about ensuring they secure a place for their child in their local post-primary school.

We need to reflect on the emotional load placed on children and their families by this process

We cannot underestimate the emotional load on children. Of concern for many children is whether they will be able to attend the same post-primary school as their friends. They watch and wait as their parents/guardians engage in the application process, hoping they are offered the opportunity to go to their local school.

Attending school open evenings is an important aspect of this transition, where school communities go to great efforts to give potential students and their families an insight into the post-primary experience. However, the reality is that children may not receive an offer of a place in a school, even though they have attended the open evening. Managing expectations becomes an integral aspect to the application process where families have to support their children in preparing for disappointment. The emotional response from children upon receiving news of a successful or an unsuccessful application can range from excitement and relief, to one of disappointment and worry.

While families and children await news from post-primary schools about their applications, it is pertinent to question the necessity of this process and to query how our schools have been put in a position where they cannot meet the demand for places. We also need to reflect on the emotional load placed on children and their families by this process, engaging them in a less than positive start to this critical transition from primary to post-primary schooling.

Dr Deirdre McGillicuddy is a mother of three primary schoolchildren, a primary schoolteacher and assistant professor in education in University College Dublin