Second level schools in Ennis, Co Clare, will meet tomorrow to review the total number of acceptances and any late applications under the town's unified post-primary admissions process.
Last week, RTÉ News reported on Limerick city’s common application system for post-primary school entry. We said it was "unique", but it turns out that is not quite the case.
The town of Ennis has a system which is similar. Compared to its 17-year-old Limerick sister, it’s a baby though, just now entering its second year. In size, it is a baby too. Just four schools are included in the Ennis scheme, compared to 17 in Limerick.
Thus far though, the town's Unified Admissions Process (UAP) has had very few teething problems. This year, every child who applied to an Ennis post-primary school received an offer of a place.
In fact, despite a shortage of second level places in many parts of the country, there appears to be a surplus of places in Ennis this year. Right now, there are almost 100 places left to be filled. But seasoned observers warn that there are likely to be a significant number of late applications.
This year, applications were made on behalf of 598 children, compared to 693 last year, and last week, 99.5% of those children were offered either their first or second preference school. The balance received their third preference.
Parents had until yesterday to accept the place that they had been offered, and today the schools will be sifting through those notifications.
The main difference between the Limerick system and Ennis' UAP is the fact that Ennis has an independent facilitator who works with the schools until the process is completed and every child has a school place. Otherwise, the schemes operate in a very similar way.
In both Ennis and Limerick, parents fill out just one form, marking schools on a list in order of their preference.
The big benefit of such schemes is that there is no duplication. This is good for schools, and for families.
In other parts of the country, parents can apply to any number of schools and they often do.
One child might receive an offer from three schools or more, and families often sit on those offers for weeks or months before deciding on the one they want. This kind of 'hoarding’ means another child may have no offer and their family may spend those same weeks or months desperate for a place.
This can’t happen in Ennis or, indeed, Limerick. There, schools know exactly where they stand and, in the main, every child is offered one school place. That’s the hope at least.
"Our scheme is still incredibly new," says Brian O’Donoghue Principal of Ennis Community College and Gaelcholáiste.
"It was introduced in order to support families and children in the area, so that every child is offered a place."
Mr O’Donoghue thinks that the difference between the number applications this year and last may simply be down to the fact that the Ennis process is so new.
Forgiving RTÉ News for having referred to the Limerick system as "unique", he said: "We are really only starting out in Ennis and so there may be kinks."
Former school principal and retired Chief Inspector at the Department of Education Eamon Stack designed the Ennis scheme, in consultation with the four schools and their patron bodies, and he is the current independent facilitator.
Are there any other towns that operate a similar system or is this approach unique to the mid-west? Contact emma.okelly@rte.ie to let our Education Correspondent know.
