Traveller equality ruling ‘well thought out’ [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 11 December 2010
THE equality ruling which upheld a young Traveller boy’s right to attend his local secondary school was a "well thought-out and well-reasoned ruling" and will have implications far beyond the Travellers’ movement, the Irish National Teachers Organisation has said.
A spokesperson for the largest teachers’ union in Ireland welcomed the ruling saying it was "very interesting and very good".
"Schools do these things in good faith but they have to be tested.
"I think in recent years primary schools have been better and do not have the criteria that a parent must have attended the school, but I am aware it is a lot of second level schools and it does not just affect Traveller children. In relation to primary schools it can be an older sibling rule which can pose a problem."
The INTO said the Department of Education should guide schools and have more of an input.
On Thursday, the equality tribunal ruled that a Christian Brothers’ High School in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, had indirectly discriminated against Travellers with its policy of prioritising certain applicants for being a Catholic, having or have had a brother or father attend the school, or having attended a local feeder school.
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