Enrolling for Senior School - Religion Required?

Dades

I don't need to elaborate on the situation regarding Irish primary schools and the requirement to have your child baptised to get into some, but I'm wondering does the same issue happen at senior school level.

I have the option to send my kids to a local catholic or an ET primary school, and my wife is dubious that when it comes to senior school applications they will be at a disadvantage if they haven't done a catholic communion/confirmation, etc.

We're saving to maybe send them to private secondary level (catholic schools), and my feeling on the matter is if you apply early, your kid has a half-decent academic reference, and most importantly can write a cheque, then you should be fine. Particularly given that we're both past pupils of two potential schools.

So, has anyone applying to senior schools (private or otherwise) been asked about baptism certs or proof of sacraments?

Any thoughts welcome.

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Moonbeam

Ring the schools and ask them.
I went to a catholic private school that people often made their confirmations in 1st year as it was a requirement.
I also know a lot of catholics that went to protestant private secondary schools with out issue.
Read the schools enrollment policy .
I would base their primary education on your preferences,remember that school patronage is being reviewed at the moment.

Dades

Thanks - am looking at enrollment policies now.

One, while it has a huge spiel on how the girls are immersed in the catholic ethos, to it's credit mentions nothing about religion in it's enrollment doc. That said, there's nothing to say the question of sacraments won't be asked at some stage.

Patronage change won't be an issue for private schools, at least, and the pace of chance elsewhere is slow there anyway I wouldn't bank on anything anyway.

A_Sober_Paddy

How in this day and age, are people still being discriminated on grounds of religion...

Gbear

As a former child I know of at least one occasion where my parents sent off an application to Christians with "N/A" in the field for date of baptism and, despite my dad being a former student, I didn't get in. We didn't even get a reply. This was about 10 years ago.

It's probably down to the senior administration at the school in question. At the time the principle was, I think, a Christian brother.

Dades

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

How in this day and age, are people still being discriminated on grounds of religion...

Well, I'll bitch all day about the primary system but it's a greyer area with private schools. They're not completely publicly funded, and nor do they work on catchment areas so they do have somewhat of a right to choose their pupils.

Gbear wrote: »

As a former child I know of at least one occasion where my parents sent off an application to Christians with "N/A" in the field for date of baptism and, despite my dad being a former student, I didn't get in. We didn't even get a reply. This was about 10 years ago.

Well, we can tick the baptism box as that was done. My hope is that any applications don't specifically refer to later sacraments that would typically be done in the primary school system.

Hard to say what the hell schools will be looking for in 6 years time, though my guess is a cheque that doesn't bounce is still paramount.

CookieMonster.x

I go to a girls school with a strong catholic ethos but there are other faiths in our school too. Lots of Catholics who have been baptised don't get in when Muslims and Jews get in as it's done by siblings.

Orion

Dades wrote: »

Well, I'll bitch all day about the primary system but it's a greyer area with private schools. They're not completely publicly funded, and nor do they work on catchment areas so they do have somewhat of a right to choose their pupils.

The majority actually are publicly funded. Only fee-paying private schools are not 100% funded but for most of them the teachers' salaries are paid by the state also.

Anyway as Moonbeam already said it's down to the school's enrolment policy. If it doesn't state it then it's not an issue wrt enrolment.

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Maybe Teens but it's good here. I've always thought it an anomaly that there's Primary, Pre-school and third level forums but no Secondary one.

private

I have had my daughter baptised protestant to get into the right secondary. Husband is protestant and am happy atheist to go along with farce for educations sake! Am not sending her to protestant primary though. She will be attending local catholic ethos school for convenience and sitting out religion. Don't think she will be alone as catholic wasn't first criteria for entry.

January

FWIW, I went to a Sisters of Charity secondary school and all the asked for was birth cert and what religion on the enrollment form.

pwurple

Approach the school and ask directly.

Also, in my experience, a lot of second level schools, especially fee paying, have primary 'feeder' schools. This can have an impact as well as religion or past pupil status if the school is oversubscribed. We chose the primary schools to enroll in based on this. We would hope by doing this, that maybe she will have some buddies going in. Also, if the school requires an entrance exams, the feeder schools prep them for this. Got to cover everything when it comes to education.

Dades

Interesting thoughts, all, thanks.

Better make some calls and continue the research...

BostonB

In some of our local schools they've started positive discrimination, via a quota for non RC applicants. As a result non RC applicants will get a place ahead of RC applicants. Also some of the feeder schools that get preference are non RC also.

So its really down the the Enrolment Policy of the school in the year of entry. Because they can change them too. So you might get one child in, and not the next one.

It could result in some interesting tactics. RC dropping their religion and renting property right beside the school to get around the limitations, or kids moving in with another relation who happens to be in the catchment.

Dades

BostonB wrote: »

In some of our local schools they've started positive discrimination, via a quota for non RC applicants. As a result non RC applicants will get a place ahead of RC applicants. Also some of the feeder schools that get preference are non RC also.

So these are senior schools using positive discrimination? And it's then theoretically easier for non-RC feeder schools to get their kids in?

Interesting. Though I agree it's really going to be down to the policy in the year in question (which won't actually be until circa 2021, when we'll all be dropping our kids to school in flying cars!)

Orion

The policy that applies is the one in place when you first (pre-)enrol not the start date.

BostonB

Not all schools have pre-enrollment. Some don't take names till the year of entry.

Hannibal Smith

your child is baptised ...so would you not arrange for them to take/make (whatever the verb is) the sacraments privately ? or have you changed your mind on the religion altogether?

I'm hoping to send my 2 to an educate together school but was planning on them making their communion/confirmation by preparing them myself?

eviltwin

Think its very much up to each school. My daughter is in a Catholic secondary and is not catholic. No problems getting her in and she is exempt from any religious ceremonies. Best to contact the schools and see what they say.

Dades

Hannibal Smith wrote: »

your child is baptised ...so would you not arrange for them to take/make (whatever the verb is) the sacraments privately ? or have you changed your mind on the religion altogether?

I'm hoping to send my 2 to an educate together school but was planning on them making their communion/confirmation by preparing them myself?

One of the selling points (for me) of going to an EA school is that they can avoid the whole sacraments thing without feeling like a leper.

Baptism was at the behest of my wife, but she's entertaining the ET school option now as the local NS seems a bit of a meat-grinder. 90 going into in junior infants with up to 300 in the yard at a time. From what we've heard in terms of how they operate it seems very much "their way or the highway". Little or no parental involvement encouraged.

pwurple

The 'feeling like a leper' is something I wuld consider too. But numbers and performance is really what matters to me at the end of the day. I'd send mine to the ET school without hesitation if it had the best reputation for maths or english. Our local ET isn't great. I'd probably convert the whole family to any religion going if it was a prereq for getting in to the good school. Religion in schools I can take or leave. Lowest item on the priority list after acedemic education, safety, PE, local friends and just about anything else in there. Whatever school they go to, I don't think I would be happy with them sitting in a corner while the others do a religion class, hannukah, or a nativity play.

Hannibal Smith

Dades wrote: »

One of the selling points (for me) of going to an EA school is that they can avoid the whole sacraments thing without feeling like a leper.

Baptism was at the behest of my wife, but she's entertaining the ET school option now as the local NS seems a bit of a meat-grinder. 90 going into in junior infants with up to 300 in the yard at a time. From what we've heard in terms of how they operate it seems very much "their way or the highway". Little or no parental involvement encouraged.

ah I get ya. I dont mind them doing the sacraments...but I do mind them doing it in school...which is why we're going for the ET school.

the other two schools in the area are like you describe and its all praying and Christianity every chance they get.

Red Pepper

My sister got their kids into a fairly large Catholic primary school in Galway without a baptism certs. I believe the school asked for one at the beginning but they just ignored the request. My understanding is that the school is more eager to keep the numbers up than what religion the kids are. Once they are in, they are in and secondary will not be an issue.