Schools advised to tighten enrolment policies

The Department of Education is to write to schools advising them to tighten rules on enrolment policies, it was revealed today.

Single sex schools are being urged to clarify their positions after an all-boys’ college in Cork was forced to offer a place to a girl.

Batt O’Keefe, Education Minister, said management boards must make their enrolment policies clearer.

“If there is a lesson to be learned here, it is that schools should strongly consider being much more explicit in their enrolment policy and that they communicate that policy clearly to each applicant,” he said.

The female student had been refused entry to the boys’ only Nagle Community College in Mahon because of her gender.

However the Department of Education upheld an appeal by the girl’s mother under section 29 of the Education Act which allows the department to force a school to enrol a pupil.

She appealed on the basis the school did not specifically state that it was boys’ only.

The Minister stressed the decision to allow the girl to gain entry to the school was based on individual circumstances.

“The decision has nothing to do with gender equality,” he said.

“The decision is based on a procedural issue which is related to this individual school where there was an information deficit in the school’s own enrolment policy.”