‘Who makes the choice of who loses out?’

ONE corner of Dublin exemplifies the anomaly that underpins the proposal to end the ‘Baptism barrier’, say observers.

Although Dublin 14 is served by schools of different religious ethos, only the Catholic schools will not be allowed to refuse admissions based on religion.

The ever-growing south Dublin suburb has Catholic, Church of Ireland, Muslim, Jewish and non-denominational schools within a few kilometres of each other.

All the schools in the small radius will be allowed to select pupils based on religion – the Holy Cross National School will not.

Ultan Mac Mathúna, the school’s principal described the area as being very diverse with a rising population.

‘All schools in our area are oversubscribed,’ he said, adding that parents in the area have the choice of a number of schools.

‘But there isn’t enough places – that’s the problem,’ he told the Mail.

Speaking about admissions, he said that if places are not decided by religion, then ‘what criteria do you use to make that choice?’

Holy Cross National School serves 240 pupils in the Dundrum area.

Stratford National School, one of the country’s only Jewish and multi-denominational schools, is 4km away in Rathgar.

Just 2.5km in the other direction is Rathfarnham Educate Together, one of several local non-denominational schools.

While 2.5km away from the Catholic ethos school is the Muslim National School in Clonskeagh. Many of the other schools in this area – several of which are of a Catholic – are oversubscribed, according to locals.

But now Education Minister Richard Bruton is proposing that only the minority schools will have the power to turn pupils away on a religious basis.

Mr Mac Mathúna is very proud to be at the helm of a ‘very inclusive school’.

But he says the nub of the problem is the lack of places and has asked if schools are banned from using religion as a deciding factor in enrolments, what can they use?

‘At the end of the day, if the minister says well look it, we won’t be using religion as a method of prioritisation if that’s within his remit to make that change, but he hasn’t said what we are going to use.

‘So now what… somebody is going to lose out. Who makes the choice of who loses out? And what criteria do you use to make that choice?

‘That will be an interesting conversation when the Dáil resumes in September or October,’ he said.

‘If you have got 500 kids and 450 places, changing the priorities by which people use to enrol children in schools doesn’t provide more places. Providing more places, provides more places.’

Joyce Perdue, principal of Rathfarnham Parish National School, which has a Church of Ireland ethos, gave a cautious welcome to the announcement but believes it will be a legal minefield to implement.

She said the school is oversubscribed and they have just 30 places every year.

She said: ‘While people may not get their first choice, they will get a place in another school.’