Catholic primary schools in the greater Dublin area are to end the practice of giving priority enrolment to siblings of pupils currently attending school. The Archdiocese of Dublin – the patron body for almost 90 per cent of schools in Dublin, Wicklow and parts of Kildare, Carlow, Laois and Wexford – has asked all primary schools to update their admissions policies over the coming weeks. Schools who operate “sibling-first” enrolment policies say they have been instructed by the archdiocese to amend their policies to give parity to all children in the local catchment area alongside children of siblings. A spokeswoman for the archdiocese confirmed that its school enrolment policies do not permit over-subscribed schools to prioritise siblings of current pupils only. However, several schools confirmed to The Irish Times that they have operated sibling-first enrolment policies for years with no objection until now.

Source: The Irish Times September 14, 2020 00:00 UTC