As September approaches many parents still struggle to find a place for their child in a secondary school. Other parents have secured a place far from their home and have to make transport plans that can lead to a difficult commute.
One thing that contributes to the anxiety is the range of different application criteria and different dates for each secondary school. This leads to some parents getting multiple offers while others still might not have any offer.
Senator Pauline O’Reilly is advocating for a Common Application System which would give parents a bit more certainty and make the system more transparent.
Senator O’Reilly comments “Limerick has a system where seventeen secondary schools co-operate in a single application process which allows applicants to list their preferences. The Galway Education Support Centre is the body which could put such a system in place in Galway, but they lack the funding.
“Note that in this system the schools still have their own admission policies, which can vary, but at least the application and offer dates all line up and pupils only receive one offer at a time. “I will be advocating for the Department of Education to set aside funding for this specific purpose. If they have the resources in Limerick I do not see why not in Galway.