Limerick schools accused of exclusion
The 14-year-old from Garryowen in Limerick finished primary school in June 2003, but three schools turned him down.
"Most of my friends are in secondary school but I just hang around getting bored. I cut grass and I play my computer but I'd like to go to school," he said.
He had been getting extra help in primary school for his difficulty with reading but he said he was getting better at school and was never in trouble in classes.
However, his father Andrew is afraid he might start getting into trouble if he doesn't get a school.
"I'd love for him to go back to school, it used to be great to see him come home happy and doing his homework last year. But some schools don't want to know because he's got a learning difficulty," he said.
"You can be fined for keeping a child out of school but nobody's helping Anthony, even though he wants to go to school," said Mr Quinn.
Anthony is one of 16 children in the city eight of whom finished primary school education 15 months ago with no school to go to.
Half of them are hoping a school to which they have applied to will accept them next week.
Education Minister Noel Dempsey said the situation is unacceptable.
"What appears to be happening is there are schools operating policies, in one way or another, which are designed to exclude pupils from certain areas of Limerick from second-level schools and that's not acceptable in an education system," he said.
He will attend a meeting with parents, schools and local representatives in the city next Monday to try to resolve the difficulties.
"There are difficulties in Limerick in relation to enrolment policies and the attitude displayed within the education community that we need to discuss and work with them to ensure children don't lose out," Mr Dempsey said.
Seamus Long, district executive member of the Irish National Teachers Organisation, said secondary schools are reluctant to enrol children with learning difficulties because their needs have not been assessed.
"There are scores of children who have passed on to second level without being assessed and the principals realise they have to get the help for them," he said.
He said schools are deciding not to accept pupils from areas where there is likely to be a higher incidence of children with learning difficulties as a result.
The National Educational Welfare Board is offering parents of affected children the option of 10 hours of home tuition a week until suitable second-level school places are provided.
