Waiting lists for schools are set to be abolished under new Department of Education plans.
Some parents put their child's name on waiting lists for fee-paying schools years in advance.
However, the Department has decided to amend school admission legislation and introduce the abolishment of waiting lists in three to five years.
Private secondary schools like Blackrock College and Belvedere College in Dublin, and Glenstal Abbey in Co. Limerick have waiting lists of up to a decade.
The new admissions bill would see parents required to apply for a place in the school a year before enrolment.
According to a statement by Education Minister Richard Bruton, this will eliminate discrimination in school admissions policy, particularly for people who have just moved to an area.
However, there's been some backlash to the changes. The National Parents Council Post-Primary has said that banning waiting lists would frustrate parents who put their child's name on the list years ago.
Principals in South Dublin secondary schools say they expect legal actions from parents who will lose their automatic right to their child's school place.
Arthur Godsil, the former headmaster of the private St Andrew's College in Dublin, said it may cause a problem for schools that have already taken deposits from parents.
He told BreakingNews.ie: “I’m not a lawyer but I believe that some schools have taken legal advice on this, and I believe that there is an issue there.
“And I would be very sympathetic to parents who put their children’s names down 10 years ago or more - only to be told, ‘Sorry, you’ve been bumped off’. That's something that needs to be addressed."
While some schools currently set aside a large number of places for children of past pupils, the new legislation will ensure that no more than 25 per cent of places are given to these children.
Under Bruton's proposed changes, schools will not be able to charge fees related to admission and will have to publish their admission policies, including details of how they will accommodate children that refuse to take part in religious instruction.
What do you think? Would a waiting list-free school policy be fairer for all?
