Traveller wins discrimination case over school's 'father rule' [IrishTimes]
- Published: 10 December 2010
IN A case that could have widespread implications for schools’ admission policies, the Equality Tribunal has ruled that the Christian Brothers High School in Clonmel indirectly discriminated against Travellers.
The Co Tipperary school operated a policy of prioritising applicants on three grounds: being a Roman Catholic, attending a local feeder school and having or having had a brother or father attend the school.
The tribunal found that giving priority to those who had a father in the school was indirectly discriminatory as very few Travellers of that generation had attended secondary school. Many schools have a “father rule”, giving places to the children of past pupils.
John Stokes, whose mother Mary took the case on his behalf through the Irish Traveller Movement (ITM) independent law centre, was the eldest son of the family and a pupil in the local feeder primary school. He applied to the school in November 2009 and the family was told the number of applicants exceeded the number of places. The school’s enrolment policy was outlined.
As a Roman Catholic and a pupil of the feeder school, John met two of the three criteria, but failed to get a place in the school. It was pointed out he could not meet the third criterion because as the eldest child he could not have a brother in the school, and as the first male in his family to progress to secondary school he could not have had a parent who attended the school.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
