Minister’s brother joins dispute over his old school

ADAM HARRIS, the brother of Health Minister Simon Harris, has criticised a change in the admissions policy at his former primary school.

Earlier this week, parents at the Church of Ireland St Patrick’s National School in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, backed a no-confidence vote in its board after the resignation of the school’s head. She quit in protest over moves to prioritise the enrolment of children who regularly attend church services.

During the summer, principal Eileen Jackson wrote to parents notifying them that she would be resigning over this. She complained that it would make admission to State-funded education a ‘collateral benefit of parochial engagement’.

Unlike Catholic schools, Church of Ireland and other minority faith schools can continue to give priority enrolment on the basis of religion. Adam Harris, 23, benefited from Ms Jackson’s admissions approach.

‘I guess I was unlikely to be enrolled in that school on two grounds. One because I was baptised a Catholic and second, because of my autism diagnosis. And even though I wasn’t a member of that faith, that principal took me... Because of the support I received, I was able to go to secondary school independently. Now I’m living a very independent adult life. If I hadn’t accessed the support in that school thanks to [Ms Jackson] I know I wouldn’t be where I am now,’ he said.