Quinn defends efforts to reform school enrolment policies
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has said he is not trying to "micro-manage" schools despite plans for new rules on school admissions.
Minister Quinn is to introduce a new system - which he says will ensure the way applications are decided on is more structured, fair and transparent.
First come, first served and past-pupil policies may soon be a thing of the past, as the Government attempts to even the playing field for school applications.
In the midst of the heckling and shouting at the ASTI conference in Wexford yesterday - the Education Minister revealed plans to eradicate restrictive school admission policies which hinder enrolment in around 20% of primary and secondary schools.
Minister Quinn said he doesn't want to tell management how to run schools, but he does want to see them follow guidelines on what not to do when it comes to enrolment policies.
"I don't want to micro-manage schools," he said.
"The Department doesn't want to get into the business of deciding who goes to what school, that's not what we want to do (and) we've a good relationship with the post-primary sector.
"We basically want to say 'look, we have a problem and it's going to get worse'.
"It currently is a problem for many principals… here's an enrolment policy (in which) we're setting out things that we don't want you to do… and after that you're free to make your own proposals."
Meanwhile the Minister will conclude his tour of the annual teachers' conferences at the Teachers Union of Ireland meeting in Galway later today.
Following frosty receptions at the INTO and ASTI conferences yesterday the Minister can expect a similar welcome when he addresses delegates at the TUI's annual gathering.
