THE enrolment and admission policies of some secondary schools in the mid Kerry area are causing unwarranted stress and upset for families, a Killarney councilor has pointed out.
Cllr Brendan Cronin said the onus of responsibility remains with each school’s board of management to ensure that pupils within their catchment area are catered for adequately.
“I have been contacted by several distressed parents whose children are being denied the right to go to their local secondary school with their friends, neighbours and team-mates. I am a firm believer that any admission policy must prioritise the pupils within that school’s catchment area,” he said.
Cllr Cronin said a pupil should not be denied the right to attend a secondary school based on decisions taken by their siblings or by their parents or, in many circumstances, where families are new to a community.
“I am shocked and saddened to think that in 2019, pupils living in the same location, attending the same primary schools and playing sports together with their local clubs will now be forced to part ways as a result of an admissions policy which clearly fails to recognise the importance of community.
“It clearly is not striving to achieve a sense of community in the greater mid-Kerry area,” added Cllr Cronin who is to write to the Education Minister, Joe McHugh, seeking a full review to ensure those living within a catchment area will be given a fair and just opportunity of attending the school of their choice.
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