Education Minister Richard Bruton has today brought forward a proposal which could bring an end to the so-called ‘Baptism Barrier’ in Irish primary schools.
According to the Irish Independent , schools from minority religions will still be allowed to refuse pupils on the basis of religious denomination.
Under the proposal, however, the country’s 2,800 Catholic schools will not be able to discriminate on the grounds of religion.
Minister Bruton said:
“I believe it is unfair that preference can be given by publicly-funded denominational schools to children of their own religion who might live some distance away, ahead of children of a different religion or of no religion who live close to the school.
“I also believe that it is unfair that some parents, who might otherwise not do so, feel pressure to baptise their children in order to gain admission to their local school.”
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