This article is from page 18 of the 2009-03-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
, Dr Walsh writes that any Board of Management (BOM) un- able to commit to a common enrol- ment policy could be instructed, “not to engage in an enrolment procedure under the provision of their current admissions policy”.
A second option that could be pur- sued, the letter states, would be to “instruct the BOM to conduct enrol- ment under the joint auspices of the Chairperson of the BOM and the St Senan’s Education Office”.
All six primary schools in Ennis agreed to the implementation of a common enrolment policy follow- ing lengthy discussions through the Ennis Parish Forum and St Senan’s Education Office in Limerick.
Speaking in Ennis on Thursday night at the launch of the common enrolment policy, Bishop Walsh said he wrote to schools to ask them to
follow the policy for one year.
‘That was the reason why I wrote to them. I wanted to indicate very strongly that I wanted this admis- sions policy accepted,” he said.
Bishop Walsh added, “All the boards have signed up to it. I’m aware of the fact that some schools have some difficulties. They have made their unhappiness known to me.”
The letter is dated January 21, 2009, and is addressed to members of the Board of Management and En- nis Parish Forum Members.
In it, Dr Walsh states, “As of writ- ing, no Board of Management has
indicated to me that it wishes to re- scind this commitment. However, it has come to my attention that an issue regarding the implementation of the agreed admissions policy and application procedures has arisen in one school.”
The letter continued, “At this junc- ture, I request that each Board of Management recommits to the im- plementation of the admissions pol- icy and application procedure for the school year.”
The letter continued, “The prin- ciples of the Ennis Parish Forum underpin collaboration between the
Boards of Management of the Ennis Parish schools. As patron, I reiterate my total support for these principles and the functioning of the forum. With this in mind, I wish to inform each board that should it find itself unable to re-commit that I will pur- sue one or a combination of the fol- lowing. (1) Instruct the BOM not to engage in any enrolment procedure under the provision of their current admissions policy or (2) instruct the BOM to conduct enrolment under the joint auspices of the Chairperson of the BOM and St Senan’s Educa- tion office.”