Non religious school

I think changes did come in, but the advantage of having a past pupil as a parent was only reduced, not abolished.
One of mine has just finished first year and past pupils were definitely part of the admissions selection process in her school at the time she applied. That was around Oct 21 for Sept 22 start, so less than 2 years ago.
The calls for the complete abolishment of past pupil advantage were being discussed in the Dail early last summer (22) as well...not sure what's happened since then though.

That is strange as I was on the BOM a few years back and that is when the changes were meant to have come into full friuition. I know for my kids it definitely came in at least 3 years ago as i was on the board then and that is what we were told. I left the board to be fair knowing I had got my youngest a place in the ET due to his older siblings already being in the school but surprised to hear some schools still going on older practices. Maybe just because ET secondary are so new they did not have lists like waiting lists etc to abolish?

@Shurleyknot
Just checked...it seems rules were changed in time for 21/22 school year. Among other changes, the number of children of past pupils who could be given priority was reduced rather than abolished. Now, not more than 25 percent of places can be set aside for children or grandchildren of past pupils. There have been further calls to abolish this advantage, but this hasn't been followed through on yet as far as I'm aware anyway?
I think the rule changes applied to fee paying schools too.

Fee paying schools may have a different policy though.

@TwirlBar no that has all changed. The only things that matter are catchment area to even apply first and foremost. If a child has a sibling in the school they will get a place but after that it is a lottery. It changed some years ago.

Also with the catholic school the fact you went there means nothing as the rules changed some years ago.

Being a child of a past pupil still matters in our local Catholic secondary school? Having a sibling there is more important, but a parent as a past pupil is still high up on their list of criteria. There have been calls to end this aspect of admissions (and certainly it is unfair and not all schools use it) but I was not aware the law had actually changed in this area, has it? If it's happened it must have been in the past year or so, because this criterion was applied to pupils who started Sept 22.

FYI mine all went to ET primary and are all at ET secondary now. I would have cried if my eldest did not get a place because with him being eligible gave a foot in the door for the others.

Apply to both and then see if you get into the ET first or find out where you are on the waiting list. ALL schools here now go on sibling policy first and then lottery. You also have to be in the catchment area for the school to apply to begin with but you clearly have no other children in secondary school so it will be lottery only. Also with the catholic school the fact you went there means nothing as the rules changed some years ago.

Pick whichever is the best school. Visit your old school and try and look at it with fresh eyes and try to speak to people who have children currently attending there. I was all set to send my DD to my local ET school and when I visited it and met some of the parents I ran for the hills and I'm delighted we went with the local national school. There will be no nuns nowadays teaching in the school and as it's a secondary school there will be very little religion. Are there any other schools in the area that wouldn't be your old school but not as far a commute as the ET school.

Oh I see. you think that you should get to impose your faith on the population.

That Parents should be seen as babysitters.

Should the school kick out the girl in a Hijab or one wearing a cross?

And do a bit of research too as a pp advised. Schools are inspected regularly, at a whole school level and at a subject level, and the results available online. Check them out.

69% of Irish people identified as Catholic in the 2022 census. So not that crazy as long as there's choice...which unfortunately there often isn't, most especially at primary level. But OP does seem to have a choice here...perhaps? Applications probably haven't gone into either school yet, her DC may not yet get a place in both schools.

I'd go to both open days OP, apply to both schools in the coming months. See where you stand then. I would suspect the RC school has changed since you attended though so things might not be as bad as you fear.

It’s crazy because children have the right to an education free of bias from their parents religion. Parents can still teach religion alongside a secular education, but children should be able to access education without religion regardless of their parents beliefs

Why is it crazy?
As soon as the all of parents in Ireland stop wanting religious education or stop sending their children to religious schools and stop giving their free time to managing religious schools they will not exist.

But if they do that, they, not the State have the primary obligation to set up a new schooling system ( like ET ) or to homeschool.

CONSTITUTION OF IRELAND

EDUCATION
ARTICLE 42

1 The State acknowledges that the primary and natural educator of the child is the Family and guarantees to respect the inalienable right and duty of parents to provide, according to their means, for the religious and moral, intellectual, physical and social education of their children.

2 Parents shall be free to provide this education in their homes or in private schools or in schools recognised or established by the State.

3 1° The State shall not oblige parents in violation of their conscience and lawful preference to send their children to schools established by the State, or to any particular type of school designated by the State.

2° The State shall, however, as guardian of the common good, require in view of actual conditions that the children receive a certain minimum education, moral, intellectual and social.

4 The State shall provide for free primary education and shall endeavour to supplement and give reasonable aid to private and corporate educational initiative, and, when the public good requires it, provide other educational facilities or institutions with due regard, however, for the rights of parents, especially in the matter of religious and moral formation.

I wondered about that. Sounds like 'small town mentality' to me. You get that in rural places in England where people have nothing to do and all day to do it in.

It all seems like a 'storm in a tea-cup to me'.
When the poster talked about 'public humiliation' I was expecting to hear she'd been stripped naked, paraded through the streets and then whipped in the public square with Rosary beads. 🙄

Don't send her to the religious school. This is an easy choice. It is crazy they even exist in this day and age.

Being the talk of the town for something that was said in school seems a stretch. I am trying to imagine just how small that town is.

@Marblessolveeverything Was this nun a teacher, currently on the teaching staff?

The parents made a complaint they were told that the school didn't want to upset the nun and sure "niece" was grand.

That's just a 'whitewash' answer.

Was this a formal complaint in line with the grievance procedure of the school and did they raise it in writing and ask for a written response?

They have raised the complaint with the BOM.

"The board of management manages the school on behalf of the patron and is accountable to the patron and the Minister. The board must uphold the characteristic spirit (ethos) of the school and is accountable to the patron for so doing.
The principal is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school, including providing guidance and direction to the teachers and other staff of the school and is accountable for that management."

I assume there will be ignored as previous issues have been.

They don't have an option to ignore it if it has been summitted via the correct procedure in writing.

https://www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/parental-complaints/

I suspect that the parents didn't follow the correct procedure or allowed themselves to be "fobbed off".

My experience of Catholic school is in England so very possibly too different to be relevant, in which case ignore. But I went to a bog standard comprehensive from 11-16. No religious affiliation but like all schools in England has an element of CofE compulsory worship. It was fine, but a massive exam factory and utterly dull. No apparent interest in the under-achieving.

Switched to Catholic school for 6th form and it was totally different. They were interested in us as people not just grades. We were encouraged to spend some study time in the community doing charity things and generally being supported to be far more rounded individuals than the previous school was interested in producing. Everyone was encouraged to participate in worship but by making it our own.

@Friedgreentomatoestoo I wont give details Ireland is tiny and it was the talk of the small town. The nun ridiculed her, referenced the sin of pride and insubordinate behaviour - it was a neighbour who told the family (an SNA) and assured her parents that their daughter was as respectful and polite - as she always is - she is on the young side of her age. It wasn't an insult it was in the vein of respectfully questioned something.

The parents made a complaint they were told that the school didn't want to upset the nun and sure "niece" was grand. They have raised the complaint with the BOM. I assume there will be ignored as previous issues have been.

The core of the issue is there is no other school that is the reality and parents work full time in caring profession so no money to move to bigger town/city. They can't nor want to home school - why on earth should they ? there is a constitutional right to state provided education.

I deal with the fallout of these situations in a professional capacity - and I was dealing with them 20 years ago - these should not be happening today. Yes a lot of schools have progressed but not all and the department of education should be monitoring and taking interventional action to clamp this nonsense down.

Also in Ireland (area with many schools but not enough places). Check eligibility criteria for all the schools...this can vary from school to school within a local area and can lead to certain children having no "priority" at a given school eg some go by address, some by primary attended, some sibling enrollment/past pupil. Also check application dates for previous years...depending on your area some may have already passed for 2024/5 but usually Octoberish time before start where I am. They should have published a document each year if oversubscribed which shows how many students from each category got in so you will know if you stand a chance...we used this to discount schools. Go to all open evenings with your child...I know they're "putting on a show" but helps you get a feel for the school. You may be surprised by your old school and may discount your preferred school because of it. If in an oversubscribed area, apply to all...you don't want to end up without a place. I think Limerick is only place with a common enrollment form/system. We were pro ET, ET primaries but children chose otherwise for secondary even after visiting the ET secondary. All catholic schools we visited had large numbers of students of other/no religion. In a Catholic school they may have to do RE for junior cert and while weighted a bit to Catholicism, learn about many major world religions as well as values/ethics etc

Are all schools absolutely identical to how they were twenty years ago? Society is different, people are different, staff are different. Laws are different.

Her experience can't be the same as yours as around two decades have passed since then and she has a completely different set of parents to you.

It's OK to be watchful rather than leaping in with rage for what happened to you decades ago (and to many other people before that), as it's absolutely clear when a parent is bringing their own issues and experiences into a response, rather than what has actually happened. She could be very happy there, she could be happier somewhere where you aren't primed to explode at the first detention or assembly where they start by saying a prayer - but if that's not a realistic option, then it's either EHE or wait and see.

That's why I asked what was actually said and what the parents did about it.

You had very good reasons for a non-religious primary. They’re still good reasons. Hold out for non-religious. Lots of kids commute, it’s really not a hardship.