All-boys' school must accept girl after appeal upheld

AN all-boys' VEC has been forced to offer a place to a girl who wants to attend the school, it was confirmed yesterday.

The girl had earlier this year been refused entry because of her gender to Nagle Community College in Mahon, the last boys-only VEC in Cork.

Her mother appealed to the Department of Education under section 29 of the Education Act, 1998, which allows the department to force a school to enrol a pupil.

The appeal was upheld because the college's enrolment policy "did not explicitly state that the college is a boys-only college".

City of Cork VEC had argued that this was "understood" as it had never enrolled a girl since its establishment in 1981.

The VEC said it would not take the case to the High Court, which was the only avenue of appeal open to it, because "it would not be in the best interest of the girl concerned".

However, the decision does not immediately open up the school to other girls in the area. The college was told by the department to change its enrolment policy so that it is clear that it enrols boys only, the VEC said.

"As matters stand, and notwithstanding the potential enrolment of one girl arising from the decision . . . the college is not a co-educational school," the VEC said.

However, the VEC has begun to investigate the need for change at the Mahon school. It intends to make a decision in time for enrolment in 2009 after consultation with others schools in the area, the diocese, the department and parents.

"If . . . there is a desire for change, an application will be made by the VEC to the Department of Education to amend its designation," the VEC said.

About a dozen girls have applied to the school in the last few weeks, according to Green Party councillor Chris O'Leary of Cork South Central, who sits on the school's board of management and is a member of the board of the VEC.

"I can't understand why they would allow one girl to go through the school on a solo run," he said.