MANY SCHOOLS are using restrictive admissions policies to exclude students with special needs and the children of immigrants.
A Department of Education audit of more than 1,900 schools, seen by The Irish Times, shows that in one Dublin area, fewer than 1 per cent of students in one secondary school have special learning needs, compared with 17 per cent in neighbouring vocational schools.
The results of the audit, and its evidence of educational apartheid, will increase pressure to ban admissions policies that give preference to the children of past pupils and siblings of existing students. The study found that some schools were using elaborate pre-enrolment procedures, such as waiting lists, that could exclude some students.
The audit covered 1,572 primary and 426 secondary schools - but not the more than 50 fee-paying secondary schools in the State, some of which have been criticised for "cherrypicking" students. It shows that in a southern region, 27 per cent of students in one community school have special needs, compared with fewer than 5 per cent in neighbouring secondary schools.
The same pattern is evident when it comes to the children of immigrants, described in the report as "newcomers". In one Dublin vocational school, some 26 per cent of students are in this category, compared to 0.1 per cent in an adjoining girls' secondary school.
This educational division, largely confined to second level, is evident in several other regions including the midwest, west and south, according to the audit. At primary level, the audit shows that few immigrant or special needs students are enrolled in most Gaelscoileanna.
Overall, the report indicates that providing for special needs students, children of immigrants and Travellers at second level is largely left to local vocational and community schools, with many voluntary secondary schools effectively opting out.
In a letter to school managers, teacher unions and other education partners, Minister for Education Mary Hanafin acknowledges that the audit "indicates that some schools are assuming a disproportionate responsibility for enrolling children of all backgrounds and needs within their local community".
Schools are not named and shamed in the 79-page audit. Instead, the State is divided into regional "clusters" where the enrolment of special needs pupils, Travellers and "newcomer" children is detailed.
In response to the audit, the Minister is examining policy options. These might include appointing regional admissions officers. In her letter, the Minister says an admissions officer could provide a mechanism to receive and consider parents' complaints on enrolment policy; allow schools to raise concerns about the policies of other local schools; and make recommendations to the Minister on what changes might be required.
