THE BISHOP of Killaloe has endorsed a common enrolment policy for Ennis primary schools that he believes will avoid the difficulties in other towns where each school caters for a different social class.
The enrolment policy aims to guarantee 25 per cent of all new places for minorities - Travellers, and foreign nationals.
Dr Willie Walsh said he believed the policy was the first of its type in the country and described it as a significant move.
"I'm very happy with it and its purpose is that there will be an equitable distribution of settled Travellers, non-Irish nationals and special needs children in the town's schools," Dr Walsh said.
"What we are trying to avoid are the difficulties that have occurred in other towns where each school caters for a different social class. The new policy ensures that each school caters for a cross-section of children in their areas."
He said school principals and boards of management deserved great credit for the new policy.
The Ennis Education Forum played a key role in devising the policy. Forum documents show that the schools agreed to implement the policy in the knowledge that as the patron, Dr Walsh can disband any board of management and instead appoint a manager to direct the principal.
The minutes of one forum meeting record: "Any schools who may not accept the policy will have to have their admission policy approved by the patron. It was noted that all of the schools present were not 100 per cent satisfied but had compromised for the common good."
It goes on: "The patron has the highest authority and can disband the board of management of any school and can appoint a single manager to direct the principal."
Against the background of increasing numbers of foreign nationals seeking enrolment and schools operating different policies, the common policy is to be introduced for the school year starting next September.
According to the education forum minutes, the policy is the culmination of seven meetings involving a sub-group of chairmen and principals of the schools.
The process has been facilitated by Joe O'Connell of St Senan's education office, Limerick.
The forum documents also say: "The rationale behind the policy is to provide a common enrolment policy for all schools in the Ennis parish, to include Catholic education and a welcome for pupils of other faiths and traditions".
The key features of the policy are a co-ordinated structure for all schools, and common advertising dates, application forms, closing dates and registration sessions.
A review of the new policy will be made in January.
