Harris criticises Greystones Church of Ireland school enrolment policy

A Government Minister has said a controversial enrolment policy at a Church of Ireland school in Co Wicklow goes against the spirit of recent legislation aimed at protecting minority faith schools.

The long-serving principal of St Patrick’s National School in Greystones announced her resignation during the summer in protest over a policy which prioritises the enrolment of children who regularly attend church services.

On Friday, Minister for Health Simon Harris, who lives in Greystones, expressed his concern at developments.

“An incredible school principal has tendered her resignation and many parents in the town have contacted me who are very upset about this and about changes to admissions policies at St Patrick’s,” he said.

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Mr Harris said he intends to write to the Department of Education as he “does not believe these changes are in line with, at the very least , the spirit and intention of recent legislation”.

Under the new School Admissions Act - due to come into force inthe coming academic year - priority enrolment will no longer be given on the basis of religion in Catholic schools.

However, minority faiths - such as the Church of Ireland - will be allowed to continue use religion as a factor in their enrolment policies.

Protect ethos

Minister for Education Richard Bruton said this exclusion was to ensure the ethos of such schools could be protected.

This week, the school’s parent-teacher association overwhelmingly backed a no confidence vote in its board of management and chair by a margin of about 80 per cent.

They also overwhelmingly backed a confidence vote in the principal by a margin of 90 per cent.

A number of parents say they want either mediation in the row or a dissolution of the board.

A spokeswoman for school's patron, the united diocese of Dublin and Glendalough, did not comment when contacted by The Irish Times.

The chair of the school board of management, Canon David Mungavin, also declined to comment.

Active parish member

The controversy began during the summer when principal Eileen Jackson wrote to parents to say she was resigning on foot of the school’s “new direction” in making admission to State-funded education a “collateral benefit of parochial engagement”.

These priority admissions require the signature of the rector, who signs off whether the child is an active member of the parish.

Board of management sources, however, say there is “no change in direction” and its policy has been in place for several years.

Another source of controversy at the school has involved a decision by the board of management to turn down an extra teacher the school was entitled to for the coming academic year.

Some parents claim the move was to prevent school numbers growing and potentially diluting its Church of Ireland ethos.

However, sources on board of management say the move was due to concerns around whether the school had the space to cope with extra pupil numbers.

Mediation

Mr Harris has called for some kind of mediation to ensure that the row can be resolved.

He said the school has an excellent reputation with a “brilliant school community, excellent teachers, committed and involved parents and a superb principal whose dedication, ability and enthusiasm is infectious and beyond reproach.

“Clearly relations between many parents and the school authority have significantly deteriorated. I believe meaningful dialogue is urgently required and I would respectfully suggest that mediation which has been sought by many parents between all stakeholders would be beneficial,” he said.

“Greystones is a wonderful community and one which is inclusive. I want to see this continue where children of different faiths grow up together and learn together.”