A Fine Gael councillor has called on Minister for Education Mary Hanafin to back a new second-level educational curriculum for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Galway county councillor Fidelma Healy-Eames said this would avert a repeat of this year's situation in Galway city where four pupils failed to secure first-year places in secondary schools.
The families of the four children were advised by National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) to apply for home tuition, but the Minister expressed concern this week that school placings had still not been found.
"I'm very anxious that coming up to the mid-term break these children still don't have places," Ms Hanafin said.
"I am not aware that there isn't room in schools, and I would question if it is enrolment policy," the Minister told The Irish Times. The NEWB was trying to determine the factual position, she added.
Ms Healy-Eames said the issue would recur and would become a crisis until such time as a "new and different curriculum is put in place for lower-achieving children" and children of lower educational motivation. This would also help to retain children who might otherwise drop out of second-level schooling, she said.
However, the Minister rejected the proposal. "If we adopt that attitude, we will never give children the opportunity to achieve," Ms Hanafin said. Children at risk of dropping out can be identified through Youthreach, she said.
Commenting on the Mercy Order's decision to close south Galway's Seamount College in Kinvara, which has more than 240 female pupils, the Minister said that her department's job was "to ensure that there was availability of places elsewhere and sufficient capacity".
A number of extensions to existing schools and two new school projects had been approved for Galway, she said. However, one of these - Coláiste na Coiribe - is replacing and relocating an existing school.
"Galway is one of our priority areas and we are looking at census figures and working with the local authority in relation to planning for sufficient educational provision," she said.
During her visit to Galway, Ms Hanafin opened a €7 million development at Calasanctius College, Oranmore and presented a digital award to Carnaun national school in Athenry.
