Proposed changes to admission policy rules in Ireland could result in parents facing a lottery when it comes to which school their children can attend.

These alterations have been put forward by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn and, if implemented, would lead to admission controls for primary and secondary schools being tighter than ever before.

There are concerns that should there be greater demand for schools than there are available places, a lottery may be deemed the fairest approach to allocation, with schools that use selective criteria being most affected by the move, the Irish Independent reports.

Among the proposed reforms is an obligation for schools to limit the number of places reserved for past pupils' children and the abolishment of the first-come, first-served admission policy. 

Booking deposits will no longer be permitted, while interviews and compulsory open days will not play as big a part in the admissions process as they have in the past.

Written by Donal Walsh
 

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