AMCSS CONFERENCE:CATHOLIC SCHOOL managers are set to defend their enrolment policies at their annual conference today after a Department of Education audit exposed how some exclude special needs pupils, foreign nationals and Travellers.
The annual conference of the Association of Management of Catholic Secondary Schools is being attended by over 400 chairpersons of boards of management and principals of Catholic Voluntary Secondary Schools.
The audit revealed how provision for special needs and other minorities is often concentrated in vocational and community schools with less provision in voluntary secondary schools.
Minister for Education Mary Hanafin - who will address the conference today - has acknowledged how some schools are not accepting their full responsibilities to special needs pupils, newcomers and Travellers.
Responding to the audit, Ferdia Kelly, general secretary of the group, which controls most Catholic schools, said: "The voluntary secondary sector is playing, and will continue to play, its part in providing high quality education for all children.
"We will not be found wanting and will continue to welcome all students".
Mr Kelly of the Joint Managerial Body (JMB), said his organisation "has advocated and continues to advocate an open, transparent and welcoming enrolment policy in all schools.
"It is our policy to welcome diversity and strive for inclusivity and we have numerous examples of excellent practice in relation to special educational needs, newcomers and students from the Travelling community in the voluntary secondary school system".
But Mr Kelly said the issue of parental choice is also a critical consideration.
"We must be very careful to strike a balance between parental choice and regulation. Parents are well informed and believe in exerting their right to parental choice and we must make sure to protect this right."
Ms Hanafin is expected to detail her plans to deal with schools with restrictive enrolment policies in her address today.
During yesterday's opening session, Mr Kelly said the financial situation in voluntary secondary schools has now reached crisis point, with principals and boards of management finding it impossible to balance the books.
He said 27 per cent of money spent in schools has now to be raised locally, either through fund-raising or contributions from parents.
"All this is against the background where, as a country, we regrettably lag way behind the OECD average spend on education with only two, Greece and Turkey, out of the 28 countries in the OECD survey spending a smaller share of national income. In 2007 we spent 4.6 per cent of GDP on education, compared to the OECD average of 5.8 per cent."