School undecided on future intake

The manager of a secondary school criticised for reducing intake from three classes to two is unable to say when a ruling will be made on whether to apply for extra buildings to cater for demand.

There is local anger that around 50 pupils have been unsuccessful in their applications for entry to Gaelcholáiste Mhuire at the North Monastery in Cork following changes to its enrolment policy. Many families are said to be preparing appeals to the Department of Education after the school limited admissions for next September to 58.

As some families and supporters protested outside the Dublin offices of school owners, the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, school manager Pat Keating said the 2014 admissions policy was designed to stabilise pupil numbers due to overcrowding. After three first-year classes were enrolled in 2011 and 2012, he said changes to the policy for entry this year were not enough to protect against overcrowding.