Logan: Pregnancy must not be a factor in enrolment

An organisation representing Catholic secondary schools said pregnancy should never be a factor when considering whether to enrol a student.

It emerged this week that the school had turned down a 16-year-old girl who applied to enrol there in 2009 because she was pregnant, and again a year later because she was a single mother.

Children’s Ombudsman Emily Logan said in a report published in recent days that St Joseph’s College, in Borrisoleigh, Co Tipperary, discriminated against the teenager and recommended the school give her a written apology. No apology had issued up to last week.