Parents at a Church of Ireland primary school have overwhelmingly backed a no-confidence vote in its board of management over a policy of prioritising the enrolment of children who regularly attend church services. Such a policy is commonplace in Britain to stop parents who are not active parish members queue-jumping those who are.
Controversy erupted during the summer when principal Eileen Jackson wrote to parents to state that 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.
Many parents said Wednesday night’s vote sent a “strong message” to the board and patron. “Parents and teachers are not happy at the direction our school is going in. They have lost our trust and confidence.”
However, one parent, who supports the board, said: “It was like a lynch mob meeting. It’s all orchestrated. I was being shouted at being told to look at people when I was talking to them. It was shocking.”
Under new school admission laws, minority faith schools, such as the Church of Ireland, will continue to be permitted to give priority enrolment to children on the basis of religion under new admission laws. However, a department spokesman said schools will not be permitted to rank these students “on the basis of the extent to which the child or his or her family are involved in local religious activities”.
