No place for child in local school

Bustle

My grandaughter born April 2010 has been refused a place in her "5 minutes away from her home" Primary school in the Cabinteely area, apparently on the grounds of "no place available" and advised that there may be a "cancellation" place at Easter. Her parents moved to the area in July 2013 and immediately signed an application following a visit to the school and a meeting with Principal. There is no explanation in the letter and no advice for most anxious parents as to what they should do. My grandaughter is a happy preschooler since the beginning of this preschool year and her fellow preschoolers have been granted places in the local Primary. I notice that there was a lot of discussion of this problem in 2006/7 but cannot find which if any forum it is still rattling along on. In C My grandaughter born April 2010 has been refused a place in her "5 minutes away from her home" Primary school in the Cabinteely area, apparently on the grounds of "no place available" and advised that there may be a "cancellation" place at Easter. Her parents moved to the area in July 2013 and immediately signed an application following a visit to the school and a meeting with Principal. There is no explanation in the letter and no advice for most anxious parents as to what they should do. My grandaughter is a happy preschooler since the beginning of this preschool year and her fellow preschoolers have been granted places in the local Primary. I notice that this issue was rattling on in 2006/7 but cannot locate a more recent Forum/discussion. In Cabinteely this is a live issue!
Advice would be most welcome

January

Moved to Primary & Pre School from Parenting.

January

A child is not entitled to a place in the closest school, my suggestion is they start looking further away if the other school is over subscribed, but don't refuse to be put on the waiting list because if a place comes up then they could still accept it.

Some people have kids names down for schools since birth, it's luck of the draw whether they get a place or not.

Bustle

Dear January/Moderator,
Thanks for guiding my stumbling steps.
About the matter in question, I am still confused. I realise that a child is not entitled to a place in the closest school - but rational social/educational planning ought to be prodded into action to reduce such children to the minimum year by year.
Is there a shortage of "admission places available for 2014 Sept Primary Schools" in Cabinteely and/or elsewhere in Dublin? Where would one access such vital information?
What is the definition of "oversubscribed"? Is it AFTER siblings, baptismal cerificate holders (denomination not indicated), teachers' children (why?), children inside the parish area, (how does one prove parish definition/boundaries on a suburban map?) - or somewhere ALONG this line that my grandaughter finds herself? If my grandaughter is not being schooled appropriately by the time she is six will the legal authorities find a place for her and how?
You see, what I would really like to know is this:
Is there a clearly established unavailability of 2014 Primary Adminssion Places in parts of this country?
Who is primarily responsible for establishing this shortage in individual Primary Schools and what section of the Department of Education is collating this information and what is the Department's policy on the matter and what are its' timelines for bringing this policy into effect.

byhookorbycrook

Bustle wrote: »

Dear January/Moderator,
Thanks for guiding my stumbling steps.
About the matter in question, I am still confused. I realise that a child is not entitled to a place in the closest school - but rational social/educational planning ought to be prodded into action to reduce such children to the minimum year by year.
Who is primarily responsible for establishing this shortage in individual Primary Schools and what section of the Department of Education is collating this information and what is the Department's policy on the matter and what are its' timelines for bringing this policy into effect.

The DES is ultimately at fault.

Bustle

Dear byhookorbycrook,
Yes probably right about the DES.
Governments are like birds.
They repond to noise.
Lots of it.
Loud.

Moonbeam

It is a common issue in many areas.
Is there only 1 local school?

I have a 20 mile round trip twice a day and my little one was 14 months old when I put her name down in the school we purposely bought our house beside,but she did not get a place.

They will be offering places up until Sept so she should find out where they are on the list and hope:)

downthemiddle

Bustle wrote: »

My grandaughter born April 2010 has been refused a place in her "5 minutes away from her home" Primary school in the Cabinteely area, apparently on the grounds of "no place available" and advised that there may be a "cancellation" place at Easter. Her parents moved to the area in July 2013 and immediately signed an application following a visit to the school and a meeting with Principal. There is no explanation in the letter and no advice for most anxious parents as to what they should do. My grandaughter is a happy preschooler since the beginning of this preschool year and her fellow preschoolers have been granted places in the local Primary. I notice that there was a lot of discussion of this problem in 2006/7 but cannot find which if any forum it is still rattling along on. In C My grandaughter born April 2010 has been refused a place in her "5 minutes away from her home" Primary school in the Cabinteely area, apparently on the grounds of "no place available" and advised that there may be a "cancellation" place at Easter. Her parents moved to the area in July 2013 and immediately signed an application following a visit to the school and a meeting with Principal. There is no explanation in the letter and no advice for most anxious parents as to what they should do. My grandaughter is a happy preschooler since the beginning of this preschool year and her fellow preschoolers have been granted places in the local Primary. I notice that this issue was rattling on in 2006/7 but cannot locate a more recent Forum/discussion. In Cabinteely this is a live issue!
Advice would be most welcome

The shool should have issued the parents with a copy of their enrolment policy, the grounds for the refusal and informed the parents of their right to appeal the decision. If the school have not done so the parents will win any appeal.

wolfpawnat

Bustle, I am in the same area, there are several schools nearby in Cabinteely, Johnstown, Ballybrack, Killiney and Loughlinstown. I am technically in Cabinteely district, but went to Ballybrack for the Gaelscoil.

Bustle

Dear All,
I seem to be latched in to two(at least) fora. PRIMARY & PRESCHOOL and PARENTING

One of them got entangled in the Gaeilscoil/language policy. This explains my next two paragraphs.

In my lifetime you could not get into University in this country without a Pass in Leaving Cert Latin.
Take a deep breath and ask yourself who benefited from that arrangement which ended in 60's. Someone will tell me when, exactly.

At this present juncture - I am not interested in "the language" - except to the extent that innocently or not it is being used to cloud the main problems from view and delay action as far as possible - see below.

Yes, we have the School Policy doc. The letter did not indicate at which hurdle my granddaughter fell, nor any place she might have on a Waiting List. Nor did it supply a list of neighbouring schools which I imagine Primary Schools have on file which would assist hard pressed parents. Thanks January., I will advise the parents to write back and accept the unidentified Waiting Place - good advice. No Downthe middle -- there was no mention of an Appeal. Regarding the Waiting List - is it not correct that schools have been advised/ instructed to deal with applications only from the October preceeding the admission year i.e. 2013 Oct for 2014 Sept?

Like the late Christina Murphy - I favour "the neighbourhood school " - particularly for Primary

I visualise current Irish Primary School Admission Policy as a large unwieldy parcel lumbering along festooned with dirty, frayed, multicoloured, labelled ribbons streeling along in its' wake. I list a selection, unordered.

Parental Convenience
Religious Power
Social Position
School Income
Cultural Values
Children's Diet/Physique
School Administration/Control
Balanced Curricula
Teaching Standards
Poorly Funded Teaching Upskilling
Staff Morale
Overloaded Administrators

The same ribbons are around our own necks.
The effect is to hamper any effort that has a prospect of improving the situation in a rat's nest of entanglement which, innocently or not, serves to delay action as much as possible.

And we pay for it all, week by week, day by day
Bustle is online now Report Post

Moonbeam

No, they new enrollment policies will not come in to effect for a few years yet.
Was there no mention of a section 29 appeal on any of the documentation?
If the school sticks to their enrollment policy then there is little that can be down.
I would bare in mind that they did apply to the school very late.

If you feel that strongly about the general admission policy of primary schools then look at private schools as well,Montessori primary schools have an excellent teaching method and good track record. We have a local one but we wanted our ids educated as gaeilge and having 4 in primary school at once when I am at home would have been a huge financial constraint.

Bustle

Dear All,
I went to a meeting at Sachs/ Hampton Hotel Dublin last week dealing with these matters. Addressed, amongst others, by an Ass Sec DES. The proposed Schools Bill will take years. I got the impression, however, that draft Regulations on Admission Process might be coming in a bit faster. DES seems to have no particular sense of direction as to what to do about multiple enrollments and parents who do not cancel unwanted acceptances. To my mind, the child's acceptance letter from the School (which should include the child's name, date of birth and PPS no) should be copied to designated section in DES and should indicate that the Acceptance will fall if not confirmed in a very short space of time. This would at least make a start on the multiple acceptance mess. Still no source of figures on over/under supply of places for Infants in the Dublin area. I suspect DES's info systems are an antiquated model.
With regards to private education possibilities, I am personally committed to a free education system at least to 17/18 - but remember my grandchilds parents may think differently!

Anyone committed to education in the Irish language will be staggered to learn that DES is considering the following Regulation on the Admission Process
"Draft Reg 20 It shall not be permissible, except in accordance with Reg 21 for schools to interview parents or students as part of the school admission policy"
Section 21 deals with Boarding Schools!

So - how to establish how fluent Irish in family life will be if you cannot "interview" parents - just as one example. "The man from the Ministry" had no coherant answer.

wolfpawnat

Bustle wrote: »

Dear All,
I went to a meeting at Sachs/ Hampton Hotel Dublin last week dealing with these matters. Addressed, amongst others, by an Ass Sec DES. The proposed Schools Bill will take years. I got the impression, however, that draft Regulations on Admission Process might be coming in a bit faster. DES seems to have no particular sense of direction as to what to do about multiple enrollments and parents who do not cancel unwanted acceptances. To my mind, the child's acceptance letter from the School (which should include the child's name, date of birth and PPS no) should be copied to designated section in DES and should indicate that the Acceptance will fall if not confirmed in a very short space of time. This would at least make a start on the multiple acceptance mess. Still no source of figures on over/under supply of places for Infants in the Dublin area. I suspect DES's info systems are an antiquated model.
With regards to private education possibilities, I am personally committed to a free education system at least to 17/18 - but remember my grandchilds parents may think differently!

Anyone committed to education in the Irish language will be staggered to learn that DES is considering the following Regulation on the Admission Process
"Draft Reg 20 It shall not be permissible, except in accordance with Reg 21 for schools to interview parents or students as part of the school admission policy"
Section 21 deals with Boarding Schools!

So - how to establish how fluent Irish in family life will be if you cannot "interview" parents - just as one example. "The man from the Ministry" had no coherant answer.

My son goes to a gaelscoil. There were no interviews, no one was interviewed. It was a case of me asking if they had space, when they said yes, I was asked would I like to see it, I agreed. The principal explained they were a gaelscoil and they would be happy to take my son as long as I accepted that. I was not asked for a baptismal cert, though they say they are a Catholic Ethos school, but they are happy to make exceptions for children of other beliefs. The school acknowledged that 90% of the kids had no Irish at all at home, but I have to say, the kids had fantastic Irish from just using it in school.

Bustle

Dear All,
Forgot to mention, I think the DES man said that there were 159 Section 29 Appeals against Refusal to Enrol. I could not establish over what period. 23 were granted. I got the impression that most of the appeals were related to Special Needs. One Special Needs child took 22 Appeals and won - in the end! Poor DES man could not relate this case to his statistics if you follow me. DES man admitted that "Oversubscription" (lovely, that term - you have to think what it actually means) translates into 20% of primary schools having an "oversubscription issue". He thinks that the issue and Section 29 Appeals related to it will be greatly reduced by new proposals. He made a reference to "oversubscribed schools must give last year's data" but it was not clear to whom or when. There were 16 contributions from the floor. One was energetic and vigorous but very muddled because the questioner thought that the terms parents and siblings meant the same thing. What bothers me about this, is that I formed the impression that the very well meaning and mature speaker was a teacher! The Section 29 people are at an address in Tullamore or Mullingar depending which gov. Web you access
I've also seen mention of the National Education Welfare Board at Green St in Dublin who, acc. to DES, deal with difficulties around school addmission - but seem to my eye, to have nothing to say about "Oversubscription" in their cheery, well documented site!

Bustle

Dear Wolfpawnat,
What a relly good experience you had - that is how it could be for a lot more parents, I feel sure. Many Gaelscoileanna are "oversubscribed" I gather, and so the question of domestic/family fluency comes in.

wolfpawnat

Bustle wrote: »

Dear Wolfpawnat,
What a relly good experience you had - that is how it could be for a lot more parents, I feel sure. Many Gaelscoileanna are "oversubscribed" I gather, and so the question of domestic/family fluency comes in.

The one in Ballybrack is if you have siblings there, you are a bit of a shoe-in, but overall, first come first served. My son is in the largest class in the school. There are only 21 in total. It is because so many schools around here. That's why I find it odd your family cannot get your granddaughter into one. Though Cabinteely fills very quickly, as does Johnstown NS.

Bustle

ANd Another Thing!
Some Acceptance Letters may be accompanied by Informational material about Voluntary Donations which sometimes indicate multiples of years for which Voluntary Donations may be prepaid.
While I was still recovering the "Man from the Ministry" raised his tired head to affirm that "he had personally dealth with a case in the north midlands where a Primary School had accumulated some many thousands of Euro in this way".
While I was still gasping a teacher beside me pointed out that "there is no legal prohibition, Mrs".
The last time I heard of anything remotely like this was in 19th century letters from a widely reviled estate owner who writes to his sister expressing his outrage that his hard-fisted agent is demanding personal payments from those tenants to whom the landlord has granted new leases. The landlord in his position as a Peer was planning to propose an Act of Parliament to outlaw this practice on the grounds that "A vendor was proporting to sell good to which he had no legal right" or something of that nature.
What on earth motivates people to pressurize fellow citizens in such a way in the 21st Century

wolfpawnat

Bustle wrote: »

ANd Another Thing!
Some Acceptance Letters may be accompanied by Informational material about Voluntary Donations which sometimes indicate multiples of years for which Voluntary Donations may be prepaid.
While I was still recovering the "Man from the Ministry" raised his tired head to affirm that "he had personally dealth with a case in the north midlands where a Primary School had accumulated some many thousands of Euro in this way".
While I was still gasping a teacher beside me pointed out that "there is no legal prohibition, Mrs".
The last time I heard of anything remotely like this was in 19th century letters from a widely reviled estate owner who writes to his sister expressing his outrage that his hard-fisted agent is demanding personal payments from those tenants to whom the landlord has granted new leases. The landlord in his position as a Peer was planning to propose an Act of Parliament to outlaw this practice on the grounds that "A vendor was proporting to sell good to which he had no legal right" or something of that nature.
What on earth motivates people to pressurize fellow citizens in such a way in the 21st Century

Yeah, my son's school ask for 75 a year, I don't give it, going to school is expensive enough. I paid out €300 in September for books, uniform, Irish dancing, Arts & Crafts, etc. But I do bake stuff for the school bake sale days for funding, but that's just me.

Glinda

Sorry, but I'm not sure I understand the issue here. When a school is full, it is full! They have to have a formal enrolment policy which sets out the order in which places are allocated to applicants and this is available to parents in advance - what do you expect them to do when there are no places left - continue to take kids and squash them all in anyway?

If they haven't followed the policy then their decision can be appealed, but if they have and you are just too late to get a place then I'm afraid you either have to wait your turn or else choose another school. Conspiracy theories are a little premature here, moving in to an area in the summer and then expecting a place to be made available in the school of choice in September (where that school is oversubscribed in terms of demand) is a little unrealistic - again I wonder what it is that you are expecting the school to do?

mitosis

OP, have any other schools been approached? Or is it a case of Cabinteely or nowhere?

Bustle

Glinda and mitosis,
Yes, requests for admission in Sept 2014 are now being made to "further away" schools.
No. I do not think that a PRIMARY school should be forced to take ALL COMERS and overfill classes. I do think that the current situation is chaotic. I believe the following to be true:
1. Parents, when they are accepted in the school they might have preferred, do not always inform those other schools to which they applied that the sought after place is no longer needed.
2. Schools, even the "oversubscribed" sometimes reach the beginning of the school year with empty places, as a result of this discourtesy!
3. Parents, not surprisingly, are reputed to be faking addresses and may even be "borrowing" Baptismal Certs in order to secure a place in a desired school.
4. Children are being recorded as subscribing to the Roman Catholic faith in order to ensure a place in a desired school - and for no other reason. I do not think that this is right - but I do not know how it is to be avoided. DES and its predecessors have ignored a huge problem, hoping that parents would muddle through . . . and so parents do the best they can.
5. Parents get annual letters regarding Voluntary Donations. Worse still, parents get Acceptance Letters which enclose or accompany Multi- year Voluntary Donations material. DES deplores these and related activities - but show no sign of doing anything effective about the situation.
6. DES is trying to discourage "putting your child down for school/s" as soon as its sex is established in the DRAFT REGULATIONS ON ADMISSION PROCESS (13 pages) There are two further drafts of 10 and 35 pages Regulation and Policy from DES, by the way.
7.It would be very useful if DES published some annual data - such as "oversubscription" as it is teasingly called - by Post Code in Dublin for example. If it published by school - this might have the effect of making the problem worse! It would be useful if "undersubscription" which is never mentioned, was published in a similar way.
5. Preferred Primary schools are usually so because "a place is guaranteed" in a desired Secondary School. I do not know to what extent the admission policy of non-fee-paying or fee paying secondary schools is governed by national policy expressed through DES. I suspect that it reflects the Primary "subscription"situation.
6.Parents often "solve the problem" by using huge private initiative and enthusiasm. This is part of the energy behind the development of Educate Together and Gaelscoileanna (the varieties of spelling ???) and even Home Schooling not to mention the parental energy and money invested in Special Needs children. One gets the the impression that public opinion sits, nodding its' approval - hands clasped.

If at all possible a 4/5 year old should be going to the local school with the neighbours' children. That is not an unreasonable goal, I think.
You see, we build the schools these days. We maintain, repair and equip the schools. We pay for the education of the teachers, for the main part, particularly in the Primary sector and for their necessary on the job retraining. We pay the teachers, salary and pension. We pay the people in DES and related regulatory bodies salary and pension and many specialised contracted advisers associated with education.

We deserve better

seavill

Just to comment on no5

Publicly the des deplore this activity. Have you wondered why they do nothing about this?? Because this is what is keeping schools afloat.

The government don't fund schools properly. Without the voluntary donations in the majority of schools they would most likely have to close. These donations pay for the running if the school, repairs etc. Summer works grants stopped the last few years. To restart this year. How do you think the leak in the roof, broken lights etc get fixed.

Schools are run by boards of management which have parents reps on them. It's not that's its a little top up for the teachers salary.

The majority of your points start and stop with the des. Not the principal or teachers or individual school.

That is where you should focus your anger

paleo muinteoir

Bustle wrote: »

You see, we build the schools these days. We maintain, repair and equip the schools. We pay for the education of the teachers, for the main part, particularly in the Primary sector and for their necessary on the job retraining. We pay the teachers, salary and pension.

As a primary school teacher, I MASSIVELY resent this!
'You' did not pay for my training. I shelled out (upwards of 10k) for this and am still paying for it. You do not pay for my retraining. Teachers often undertake courses for retraining / upskilling purposes over the summer. We pay for these out of our own pockets.
Also, you do not pay my salary. My salary (which is very little, as a fairly newly qualified teacher) is paid from the public coffers - as are many many other things, various salaries included. I'm not sure exactly what manner of ownership you are intimating that 'you' have over us as a result. Do you feel the same way about the gardaí? the firemen?

We are so much more than just teachers ......
We are confidantes to wipe a child's tears
We are bankers who collect money for a million different things
We are both counsellors and psychologists to problem-filled children
We are police officers who control children gone wild
We are librarians unveiling the adventures that books bring
We are custodians who must often clean up certain little messes
We are psychics who learn to anticipate the actions and emotions of children
We are travel agents scheduling school trips for the year
We are photographers to keep records of children's growth and development
We are nurses who aid a child who is feeling unwell
We are politicians who must liase with government departments, boards of mangement, parents associations, etc.
We are event managers who arrange sports days and field trips and music recitals and concerts
We are interior designers who decorate a room to provide the positive environment that is a classroom
We are detectives who solve the small mysteries that are so large in the minds of children
We are clowns and comedians who make these children laugh as they learn
We are dieticians who ensure that children have enough to eat each day (not a given)
When Mummy and Daddy are gone for the day, we are both.

But of course, where would we be without 'you' to pay us?
And, apparently, 'you' deserve better.....

Bustle

Dear Paleo Muinteoir,

The children you teach have cause to be grateful fior your dedication. Just give a little thought to the following points:

1 Take out the first and last line of your list. What is left could be a description of good parents. Are you sure that is exactly what should be such a main focus in your own profession? What part of your time/energy is left for teaching - the profession which you chose and for which you were trained?
2. This is a much important point. I am sure you have a good, logical mind, the advantage of a third level education - and since you contributed €10K plus for it from personal money you must be young. The public coffers" to which you refer - what do you imagine is the source of the money supply to the "public coffers"? Surely you appreciate that the "public coffers" are replenished directly and indirectly from my income tax and other taxes and levies, yours and everybody elses? Similarly all aspects of education including that training initially undertaken by the majority of those currently employed in Primary education were and are very heavily financed from the "public coffers" - that is the wallet of you,me and the bloke down the street.

Do I feel the same way about Gardai and firemen? You bet I do.

Yes, I deserve better, Paleo Muinteoir - and so do you.

seavill

Bustle wrote: »

Dear Paleo Muinteoir,

The children you teach have cause to be grateful fior your dedication. Just give a little thought to the following points:

1 Take out the first and last line of your list. What is left could be a description of good parents. Are you sure that is exactly what should be such a main focus in your own profession? What part of your time/energy is left for teaching - the profession which you chose and for which you were trained?
2. This is a much important point. I am sure you have a good, logical mind, the advantage of a third level education - and since you contributed €10K plus for it from personal money you must be young. The public coffers" to which you refer - what do you imagine is the source of the money supply to the "public coffers"? Surely you appreciate that the "public coffers" are replenished directly and indirectly from my income tax and other taxes and levies, yours and everybody elses? Similarly all aspects of education including that training initially undertaken by the majority of those currently employed in Primary education were and are very heavily financed from the "public coffers" - that is the wallet of you,me and the bloke down the street.

Do I feel the same way about Gardai and firemen? You bet I do.

Yes, I deserve better, Paleo Muinteoir - and so do you.

I think you missed the point. To be a good teacher you have to do all those things in between. You cannot just go in and teach and expect it to work without all the rest.
That is the thing which annoys teachers the most the general public not realising what we actually do.
You are mammy and daddy for them maybe the only mammy or daddy they have in the whole day.
If you don't do all those things I between there is no one else there to do them a lot of the time.
When they are with us we are in locus parentis we are their parents and have to do all those things.

The main point is we will not be able get on with what we were trained to do without doing all of this. Hence the reaction you got from the last poster.

wolfpawnat

I think taking out your anger at schools for other parents putting their childrens names down in several is completely misplaced. Schools can only put down the names, they can't tell who has put names elsewhere, but in an area like here, when there are so many housing developments, it is hard to guarantee a place anywhere so parents have to put names down and hope for the best.

Your kid left it too late, there are more kids in this area than there are schools.

paleo muinteoir

Bustle wrote: »

Dear Paleo Muinteoir,

The children you teach have cause to be grateful fior your dedication. Just give a little thought to the following points:

1 Take out the first and last line of your list. What is left could be a description of good parents. Are you sure that is exactly what should be such a main focus in your own profession? What part of your time/energy is left for teaching - the profession which you chose and for which you were trained?
2. This is a much important point. I am sure you have a good, logical mind, the advantage of a third level education - and since you contributed €10K plus for it from personal money you must be young. The public coffers" to which you refer - what do you imagine is the source of the money supply to the "public coffers"? Surely you appreciate that the "public coffers" are replenished directly and indirectly from my income tax and other taxes and levies, yours and everybody elses? Similarly all aspects of education including that training initially undertaken by the majority of those currently employed in Primary education were and are very heavily financed from the "public coffers" - that is the wallet of you,me and the bloke down the street.

Do I feel the same way about Gardai and firemen? You bet I do.

Yes, I deserve better, Paleo Muinteoir - and so do you.

In response,

Firstly, as mentioned by seavill above, the point I was making was lost on you. I was pointing out that as teachers we do all of these various things as well as / on top of / alongside with the actual teaching, ie the part of our profession which requires training, qualification and upskilling. I wish I could say that the majority of parents (nevermind the general public) understood that, but the sad truth of the matter is that they don't.

Secondly, you assume that because I have paid for my training that I am young. This is an assumption without basis - how does the fact that I've paid for it make me either young or old?

As for your attitude to those who work in public service professions - I personally think it stinks. Income tax is only one of many contributors to our country's public funds. It is this funding system which saves every parent from having to pay for private schooling. As you say, we all contribute in various different ways (not only through income tax) and we all benefit, again in many different ways. Education happens to be funded this way, benefitting us all as children, and many later again, as parents. I for one am delighted that it is. However, just because you pay income tax does not mean that you pay my salary. This is a huge oversimplification of the situation.

Also, please do remember that our system of free third-level education in this country means that the training of people both in and out of the public service is provided, and so this argument has no place being directed at teachers.

And, finally, as has been said by others, to claim that you deserve better of individual schools, principals and/or teachers in the situation regarding enrolment policies is simply a case of misdirected anger and frustration. The vast majority of schools, principals and teachers do absolutely the very best they can for the children and families they have dealings with, more often than not going above and beyond what is required of them.

G-Man

Bustle wrote: »

...
So - how to establish how fluent Irish in family life will be if you cannot "interview" parents - just as one example. "The man from the Ministry" had no coherant answer.

Interviews have been used as cover for checking out "is this the right family and pupil we need in our school".. Or select the families which can indicate in an interview that their kids are bright above the others.

If the English Medium schools cant interview to see if the home and parents are english speaking and have to take kids who only speak e.g. arabic, polish, chinese, it should be a similar rule for the Irish Schools...

If you think about it its quite possible that today there are probably many schools who take pupils where there is a completely other language spoken at home and in the community, yet there are no indications that those pupils ./ schools suffer adversely. So why should Irish Medium schools get a free ride and deciding what prior ability or commitment a family have.

G-Man

Has anyone in DES proposed a centralised application system, CAO like....but with points awarded according to the schools admission policy..

5 points for sibling
3 for being local
4 for religion
...AND DEFINITELY NOT FOR ANY ABILITY THING..

Just really a co-ordinating thing so parents can see how what schools are available, what their policies are and indicate a preference list of schools they would apply to... And a central space to scan and log the supporting documents.

Then in april a computer just awards the points according to the individual schools and sends out offers. Which must be confirmed . Unconfirmed/Rejected places get offered in a second round to those families who did not get a place first time round.

Sounds horribly mechanical for 4 yr old kids but still it might bring some clarity and reduce work load on parents and teachers.

byhookorbycrook

G-man, such a system has been put in place for secondary places in Limerick and has proved less than helpful.

G-Man

OK, I see that now in another thread... It would appear to me that the system possibly works but appears bloody uncomfortable as parents do not get the school they want and they might have only placed one preference on the list...

... Its true, despite all the house building and bulging birth rate 4 years ago, no plans were made by the authorities.

My own daughter faces school entry in '14 here in Dublin City and we are not happy either with the choices.. However it has posed us to think about this, if my child faces a bulge now will she will face one throughout there school life e.g. overcrowded classes, too few places on school trips or sports teams... How will this affect a child, will they be fighters and used to competition or too stressed.

Its a strong topic in our house, and sometimes it brings questions of leaving the country to the surface. Now straying off the topic here, but if one has a job here and have years of pay cuts, raised taxes, voluntary contributions, poorer services. it makes no wonder that a lot of the people leaving the country are ones leaving who already have jobs.

AMCCORK

Will she get a place in 2015? Old debate I know but speaking from experience I sent one child at four and the others at five and the five year olds coped way way better all through the years so if she gets a place in 2015 in school of your choice I'd wait.

Moonbeam

G-Man wrote: »

OK, I see that now in another thread... It would appear to me that the system possibly works but appears bloody uncomfortable as parents do not get the school they want and they might have only placed one preference on the list...

... Its true, despite all the house building and bulging birth rate 4 years ago, no plans were made by the authorities.

My own daughter faces school entry in '14 here in Dublin City and we are not happy either with the choices.. However it has posed us to think about this, if my child faces a bulge now will she will face one throughout there school life e.g. overcrowded classes, too few places on school trips or sports teams... How will this affect a child, will they be fighters and used to competition or too stressed.

Its a strong topic in our house, and sometimes it brings questions of leaving the country to the surface. Now straying off the topic here, but if one has a job here and have years of pay cuts, raised taxes, voluntary contributions, poorer services. it makes no wonder that a lot of the people leaving the country are ones leaving who already have jobs.

Emigration has occurred to us too,we have no problems getting jobs here we earn decent wages but the feeling of paying such very high taxes and the feeling of getting little in return is forcing us to consider our options.

On a brighter note my school fiasco might be about to change so fingers crossed for us please:)

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Don't really understand the frustration in the OP. are kids automatically entitled to a space in whatever school they apply to? If classes are overflowing what are schools supposed to do? Kick another kid off the list and admit the child in the OP?

ItalianGarden

Hi. This is for the lady who first posted about her grand daughter. I'm sorry your daughter is in such a stressful position. Also sorry some posters may have been less than sympathetic. I'm in the same position. Moved back to the Glenageary area last year. So we were way down list for our chosen school. It's such a stressful position when you think you should be fine. Have been reassured by the school all is fine. Have your daughter, for whom you only want the best, attending a creche where all the children are going to the same school, then find yourself facing the unknown when it becomes clear she won't be going to the school you'd hoped for. I can say we have visited two schools that have places, saint kevins in sallynoggin and saint Josephs in dun Laoghaire. neither was on our list but both have places. Both are deis schools but that has a positive side too. Smaller classes. Free lunches. We preferred saint kevins - the principal and junior infants teacher both lovely, we looked I'm on classes and playtime and the children seemed happy, well behaved....we will probably send her there assuming no place comes up in one of the other schools we have her name down for on the waiting list for. It would seem now that some young families are able to afford to move back to these areas the schools that used to be able to accomodate all applicants recently suddenly can't. Who knows, if your grand daughter ends up there they may be friends. Best of luck to your daughter and reassure her she's not alone in this position.

Moonbeam

we didn't get the space that came up:(

Purplemonke

Hi
I am in the same boat, I found out on Thursday (only after contacting the school myself) that my son has not received a place in our local catholic school which is contained within out estate.

I would like to point out, he is local shares the same road, catholic, eldest child so unfortunately no siblings to follow, I attended the secondary school as a past pupil, his name has been down since the week of his birth, and he currently attendeds the Montessori in the grounds of the school. My entire family attended the primary school and my two foster brothers currently attend

When I contacted the school I received an email from the principal saying he hadn't received a place and she hopes I have his name down in another school.

All other schools fee and non feeing are full I have tried 8 of them, all have said there over subscribed and that there enrolment criteria has to accommodate locality etc and to contact my local school.

I was not informed of the section 29 appeals or the NEWB, or any options open to me.

I also wasn't issued an enrolment policy when I applied for my son.

After contacting the minister of education he advised that I'm entitled to this information and received the criteria yesterday

1. Siblings (all)
2. Past pupils
3. Staff children
4. Local and catholic (on an age basis April 2009 to match 2010 cut off)
5. Local and not catholic etc
6 non local.... Etc etc

So my "eldest"
Local catholic child is now 19th on a cancellation list for a "brand" new school building that didn't increase it's class rooms despite being over subscribed since changing from an all girls school to mixed!

The second email I received stated they received 208 applications and only 58 places. The principal is not helpful or understanding actually quite power hungry (from past experiences).

I'm not being considered a pasty pupil despite my affiliation with the school, and my family currently attending. We moved home to be beside his school and my family home so that my mother who minds my children when I work could walk them to and from school with her foster children!

I actually cannot believe the policy that is in place and that locality is only considered at option 4! I'm sickened that there isn't a fairer method of applying places and I don't think a blanket offering to siblings should be alone on criteria one!!

I am doing what I can to fight this, because at this moment my child has no school place! I have worked my ass off to move and love in the area of the school to ensure he wasn't dragged up out of bed all hours to be brought miles to school to sit in an early class so I can make it to work! I'm so angry!

I have contacted the school to arrange a meetings, TD's, education board, NEWB, arch bishop of dubljn, local priest, trustee order who own the school, awaiting details of the board of management (which they don't share on there site) and parents council!

My child has the god given right to attend school and offering places to non local children is reducoulas! If anyone has gotton anywhere or facing the same issue please contact me!

Moonbeam

Offering places to the kids of past pupils before local kids is stupid.
Hopefully you get an offer before September.
If they stick rigidly to their enrolment policy there is little that can be done.
Are there any other local schools?
I thought they had to inform you that section 29 was open to you when they inform you that you do not get a place? we were informed anyway.
I am still waiting for a place for my eldest in our local school since Sept,I have a 20km round trip with her every day and she is soon to be the eldest of 4 so as you can imagine it is hell but the school she is in is wonderful and has really good teachers and staff.

Purplemonke

Moonbeam wrote: »

Offering places to the kids of past pupils before local kids is stupid.
Hopefully you get an offer before September.
If they stick rigidly to their enrolment policy there is little that can be done.
Are there any other local schools?
I thought they had to inform you that section 29 was open to you when they inform you that you do not get a place? we were informed anyway.
I am still waiting for a place for my eldest in our local school since Sept,I have a 20km round trip with her every day and she is soon to be the eldest of 4 so as you can imagine it is hell but the school she is in is wonderful and has really good teachers and staff.

I find it absolutely appalling, that parents have to endure this hardship with an eldest child! There should be a selection of places reserved for new family's and too be honest I don't believe just being a sibling should be an entire first criteria.

I am so angry I can't even out it into words I feel like I'm letting my son down, that I might have to send him to a school I don't feel is a standard he deserves, that i have to get him picked up by strangers and the school I have pointed to for the past two years that he has always know as the "big" school that he is going to go to, he won't!

I have been in such a horrible mood due to this, I feel so let down yet again by the systems applied in Ireland! This school I can't get into because locality is too far down the list the other schools I can't get Into because it's too far up there lists! Where is the consistency!

G-Man

Hi,
Our daughter is eldest too and often thought that she would be discrimated against.. Its not my daughters fault she is the eldest and has no sibling to latch on to... And it seems many in the legal profession agree with these sort of discriminations.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/tipperary-school-wins-appeal-in-traveller-discrimination-case-514143.html

Do you notice how the judge agreed the parental rule was discriminatory, but he felt the school had made a fair reason to being discriminatory. Is it ever fair to be discriminatory. Even a lay person could examine and see if the schools discrimination is reasonable... Is it even possible to have fair discrimination?

So IMHO there are two grounds of discrimination here one the child not having the right older sibling, and not having the right parent. This discrimination is wrong, it just so happens that in Ireland we can peculiarly say this discrimination is fair when we need to protect someone elses position i.e. the kids who have the older siblings or the parent who happens to have gone to this school..

I would call bunkum on these two "protections". Ireland has so many single sex and other diverse schools that the sibling rule is an anachronism (although we do understand its desirability), the parent rule is just old fashioned paternalism in protecting some sort of local favouritism of a school, if it is that .. Its just strange.


Even if you won your argument whats the alternative, lottery? Or maybe some sort of reverse pay internships to get in under rule 3.

Purplemonke

G-Man wrote: »

Hi,
Our daughter is eldest too and often thought that she would be discrimated against.. Its not my daughters fault she is the eldest and has no sibling to latch on to... And it seems many in the legal profession agree with these sort of discriminations.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/tipperary-school-wins-appeal-in-traveller-discrimination-case-514143.html

Do you notice how the judge agreed the parental rule was discriminatory, but he felt the school had made a fair reason to being discriminatory. Is it ever fair to be discriminatory. Even a lay person could examine and see if the schools discrimination is reasonable... Is it even possible to have fair discrimination?

So IMHO there are two grounds of discrimination here one the child not having the right older sibling, and not having the right parent. This discrimination is wrong, it just so happens that in Ireland we can peculiarly say this discrimination is fair when we need to protect someone elses position i.e. the kids who have the older siblings or the parent who happens to have gone to this school..

I would call bunkum on these two "protections". Ireland has so many single sex and other diverse schools that the sibling rule is an anachronism (although we do understand its desirability), the parent rule is just old fashioned paternalism in protecting some sort of local favouritism of a school, if it is that .. Its just strange.


Even if you won your argument whats the alternative, lottery? Or maybe some sort of reverse pay internships to get in under rule 3.

I hope I win, and even when I do I am not giving up on fighting this issue, it's seems that so many people are affected by it and its so un just and so unfair. I have always considered myself to be relatively intelligent, but assumed as a young teenager and adult that government and like minded bodies must be made up of geniuses, I'm actually appalled at how lazy, nepotistic, egotistical, historic and outdated that actually are! How the hell are these people in power?

This school has a brand new building, and yet still only 16 classrooms and now less outside space that is all tarmac'd! Sold the land but never made space for new classes? Crazy! And the first planning permission for the new building was applied for in 1978 like seriously!!! I am just baffled

sawdoubters

will she be 4 when she goes to school she could wait until 5

a quick word with your local parish priest might do the trick



http://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=elementaryschools&find_loc=Cabinteely%2C+Co.+Dublin

Purplemonke

sawdoubters wrote: »

will she be 4 when she goes to school she could wait until 5

a quick word with your local parish priest might do the trick



http://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=elementaryschools&find_loc=Cabinteely%2C+Co.+Dublin

My son turned 4 today actually so he will be 4 years and 9 months. He is exceptionally intelligent, not very sporty but intellectually very very advanced, and with speaking with his Montessori teacher she said it would be Cruel to keep him back to 2015 as he has done 2 years of Montessori and because of how developed he is!

I contacted the arch bishop last night, the priest associated with the school is next on my list when I find out who he is!

G-Man

Purplemonke wrote: »

I am so angry I can't even out it into words I feel like I'm letting my son down, that I might have to send him to a school I don't feel is a standard he deserves, that i have to get him picked up by strangers and the school I have pointed to for the past two years that he has always know as the "big" school that he is going to go to, he won't!

I am saddened for you and your sons predicament. It looks like we are OK for one of our 2 favourite schools for our eldest daughter in '14. If it was not I can imagine your disappointment at having to explain this and understand it to your son.

You are not letting your son down, a parent who puts such effort into their childs education is is doing amazing work not just for their son but for their community.

Keep plugging away, surely some of 58 offered and the 18 ahead of you in the list are on other schools as well. Many will fall away.

I dont know your experience of the principal, but she does not have an easy task either. I dont know if this is too late for you but may suit some other parents, is there anyway of getting involved in the school as fundraising or maybe you have a special skill in music, art, computers or whatever and be able to offer something , so that you are embedded in the school before entry year, (staff in point 3 may have a broad definition particularly as schools are stuck for skills). It might sound off the wall and a bit pushy, but that waiting list of 19 might not be ordered as strict as we think.

Purplemonke wrote: »

I contacted the arch bishop last night, the priest associated with the school is next on my list when I find out who he is!

Your missives to PP and etc., might well be noted but they are probably in an area they do not want to get involved in, (same goes for dept or any official), so thats it they are noted, why should the system you know is broken now change. I would encourage you to understand to the principals side and see what she needs... (maybe that visit to the PP might elicit that information)

Purplemonke

G-Man wrote: »

I am saddened for you and your sons predicament. It looks like we are OK for one of our 2 favourite schools for our eldest daughter in '14. If it was not I can imagine your disappointment at having to explain this and understand it to your son.

You are not letting your son down, a parent who puts such effort into their childs education is is doing amazing work not just for their son but for their community.

Keep plugging away, surely some of 58 offered and the 18 ahead of you in the list are on other schools as well. Many will fall away.

I dont know your experience of the principal, but she does not have an easy task either. I dont know if this is too late for you but may suit some other parents, is there anyway of getting involved in the school as fundraising or maybe you have a special skill in music, art, computers or whatever and be able to offer something , so that you are embedded in the school before entry year, (staff in point 3 may have a broad definition particularly as schools are stuck for skills). It might sound off the wall and a bit pushy, but that waiting list of 19 might not be ordered as strict as we think.



Your missives to PP and etc., might well be noted but they are probably in an area they do not want to get involved in, (same goes for dept or any official), so thats it they are noted, why should the system you know is broken now change. I would encourage you to understand to the principals side and see what she needs. ...

See this is where is get more frustrated I fundraised for there new school my sister (now only 14) was attending during there last years in the old building. I helped with school trips and sports days. Many if the teachers know me. And the principal herself does. My mother has been associated with the school over 16 years 10 of those the current principal was in place! My mother fosters and has had to have children added later in school year and I remember one time she went and the principal told her don't just think because you have one foster child in that all will get places don't take this school for granted, a total power trip and my mum left feeling like she had been out down, next day called and told she had a place for him! Her manner is appalling.

I called on oct 23rd to see what the status of places where .... Secretary to get back to me and heard noting.

25th received and email asking to confirm if I still wanted a place in September which I confirmed.

Left it over Christmas as I though places hadn't been announced, called on Thursday and in Friday I recieved this

Dear
Mr & Mrs

X is 19th on the cancellations list and has not received a place at our school. Are two junior infant classes are now full.

I hope you have placed his name with alternative schools.

Regards
Principal!

I wasn't contacted or told, and now have since found out that one parent was told she had a place in November another not told she didn't have a place until December!

She should never have made principal, has no training and is very very cruel to staff and children. Many a story I can share and yet nothing has ever been done about her, I was happy for my children to attend as she is due to retire.

seavill

What do you propose the school do for you?

They had 58 places for over 200 applicants. Obviously there are going to be people extremely disappointed. I certainly don't mean to sound disrespectful but If you had got in someone else would have missed out but you certainly wouldn't have been complaining about the system then. I understand your disappointment but are you hoping if you kick up enough fuss they will give into you and you get a place over someone else or what is the end goal?

Would you rather a lottery system or what are you proposing. It has to be decided some how but it's certainly not the fault of the principal or teachers or PP that the government are inept and can't plan properly.

And for what it's worth you are much better off with a school with a decent reputation that has a decent principal with many years left as opposed to one that is so bad as you describe and could be replaced by someone that could be 100 times worse or 100 times more useless.

Purplemonke

seavill wrote: »

What do you propose the school do for you?

They had 58 places for over 200 applicants. Obviously there are going to be people extremely disappointed. I certainly don't mean to sound disrespectful but If you had got in someone else would have missed out but you certainly wouldn't have been complaining about the system then. I understand your disappointment but are you hoping if you kick up enough fuss they will give into you and you get a place over someone else or what is the end goal?

Would you rather a lottery system or what are you proposing. It has to be decided some how but it's certainly not the fault of the principal or teachers or PP that the government are inept and can't plan properly.

And for what it's worth you are much better off with a school with a decent reputation that has a decent principal with many years left as opposed to one that is so bad as you describe and could be replaced by someone that could be 100 times worse or 100 times more useless.

Well firstly I propose that some form if system in places go eliminate multiple school applications, which leads to very very hard allocation process because family's are applying to upwards to 8 schools, I applied to one! The local school beside my house that I attended and my family currently attend.

So what do I propose

1. A centralised system to eliminate multiple school applications - using a orefernce system.

2. A "fair" enrolment process - do you think its fair that a child that lives in Meath has got a place my my local school because his sister Attends and got. Place a few years ago (don't ask me how)or the staff children getting preference over my child, this school is ment to be my local amenity. I'm not looking to get him into and amazing school in want him in his local school, one I can walk to, my mother can walk to that I have a support network in the area should it be required.

3. Eldest children are completely discriminated against so I don't think a blanket criteria be applied there should be a pro rata placed on places offered.

How can I get my child into a school if my local is admitting non local above mine and other school are admitting on local basis and he misses out?

I also don't think there process have been followed fairly as there has been two children that I know have no been offered places that shouldn't ahead of my son,

I am also annoyed I have only been told now two months after other parents have been told.

So what I want to happen is that I get my son into the most appropriate local school and that may mean kicking up a lot of fuss but that is what I deserve to see that he is treated in a fair method, and that if in fact there is a genuine excess of children over resources in the area that the minister of educations responsibility is to ensure that is met, so they can evaluate how they can accommodate an additional class in the school!

Do you think I'm asking to much? Or that I'm expected to stand back and be governed by biased processes and nepotistic judgement. The fact that the principal has in the past "made allowance" for other children shows just how wrong the system is! Based on the criteria you can clearly see how the board of the school is composed staff, past pupils and current children parents!

afkasurfjunkie

Hang on a sec. First of all if over 200 people apply to a school for 58 places what in fairness do you expect a principal to do?
Plus you have just mentioned you feel the principal is on a power trip and 'cruel' to the children so why on earth would you want to send a child to a school where you greatly dislike the person running it.

Purplemonke

afkasurfjunkie wrote: »

Hang on a sec. First of all if over 200 people apply to a school for 58 places what in fairness do you expect a principal to do?
Plus you have just mentioned you feel the principal is on a power trip and 'cruel' to the children so why on earth would you want to send a child to a school where you greatly dislike the person running it.

Because she retires next year and won't have much to do with my children.

I "need" him to attend that school because that is the school my two foster brothers attend currently and he will be brought to school with my mother! I also want him in a catholic school, I also want him to progress with the children in his Montessori school, I want him to be in a class with children that live in his local area, the area I have worked hard to live in, I want him nearby to ensure he can be social with his friends from school.

The school has been over prescribed every single year YET built a brand new school building with the exact same number of school rooms ????? Logic?

So considering my son by law has the right to attend school this September where does he go?


Out of those 200 applicants many will not be from the area, also may not be catholic, may only have there name down as a back up, but yet even with my son satisfying all criteria "except" not haveing an older sibling in the school he is not offered a place. I believe certain people will be disappointed and if I applied for him in a school I loved and felt it was an excellent school but he didn't get a place I would be "disappointed" but if cope it was a preference but I'm not from that area so it's disappointment not anger!!!

This is anger, he deserves a place in that school, above past pupils children, above staff children and above non local siblings!

Moonbeam

Our local school did the same brand new building and no more capacity:(
If you attended the school then why does he not get priority?

Applying to multiple schools is fine once when they get offered a place in their chosen school they let the other schools know immediately,it is the people that do not let the school know that is annoying.

I went down the day our local school went back in the hope that some kids would not turn up and they could offer us a place.

I completely understand why you are angry etc but I don't think that there is much that you can do.

The school commute pretty much ruins my day and I have 45 minutes sitting outside the school waiting every day with a baby ,a bump and a 2 year old because there is no point going home after play school.

There is also no parking at her school and limited parking across the road so at the moment it prob make sense being there early cause one of the little ones usually falls asleep and waking them is not something that I like doing.

seavill

Purplemonke wrote: »

Well firstly I propose that some form if system in places go eliminate multiple school applications, which leads to very very hard allocation process because family's are applying to upwards to 8 schools, I applied to one! The local school beside my house that I attended and my family currently attend.

So what do I propose

1. A centralised system to eliminate multiple school applications - using a orefernce system.

2. A "fair" enrolment process - do you think its fair that a child that lives in Meath has got a place my my local school because his sister Attends and got. Place a few years ago (don't ask me how)or the staff children getting preference over my child, this school is ment to be my local amenity. I'm not looking to get him into and amazing school in want him in his local school, one I can walk to, my mother can walk to that I have a support network in the area should it be required.

3. Eldest children are completely discriminated against so I don't think a blanket criteria be applied there should be a pro rata placed on places offered.

How can I get my child into a school if my local is admitting non local above mine and other school are admitting on local basis and he misses out?

I also don't think there process have been followed fairly as there has been two children that I know have no been offered places that shouldn't ahead of my son,

I am also annoyed I have only been told now two months after other parents have been told.

So what I want to happen is that I get my son into the most appropriate local school and that may mean kicking up a lot of fuss but that is what I deserve to see that he is treated in a fair method, and that if in fact there is a genuine excess of children over resources in the area that the minister of educations responsibility is to ensure that is met, so they can evaluate how they can accommodate an additional class in the school!

Do you think I'm asking to much? Or that I'm expected to stand back and be governed by biased processes and nepotistic judgement. The fact that the principal has in the past "made allowance" for other children shows just how wrong the system is! Based on the criteria you can clearly see how the board of the school is composed staff, past pupils and current children parents!

Your problem is the system is already in place and has applied to you and the other 200 people in your school.

You can propose whatever you like but it is unlikely to change anything now. Recently there has been talk of changing admission policies and I think there is something in line for this but again it won't have any effect on your situation.

You say in your OP you are not considered a past pupil despite all your connections to the school. It seems that you were not a past pupil of the primary school so this seems fair.
It appear that the school were able to fulfill the criteria of selection based on the first 3 points on your list on your OP. If they apply the rules strictly I can't see how you can have a problem.
If they were to bend the rules for someone surely this would be worse than applying them strictly.
You applied knowing there would be a selection procedure. These procedures have been in place in all primary schools for the last 10 years or so that I am aware of so you signed up to this school knowing there would be a selection process even if you did not know exactly what it would entail.
If you did not know the ins and outs of the process then you failed yourslef by not looking into this.
If you had asked for the enrolement policy anytime over the last 4 years you would have seen the cirteria and known straight away you don't fulfill any of the first 3 so things were always going to be tight. About 2 years ago there was a massive incident around enrolement policies all over the papers and TV. Again this should have put it back in your mind.

Saying all that hindsight is a great thing and I do sympathise that this school would be ideal for you however you did not fulfull the selecting criteria to get into the 50 or so places. Yes its bad planning etc. do you think the department, the principal, the PP don't know the school is oversubscribed, this is most likely the case every year. This is the case in numerous schools around the country not just yours.

In a perfect world people woudl only apply for one school and it would make life easier but this isnt currently the case so in essence you should have done the wrong thing and put his name down in several schools, your main problem is that you presumed that you would get into this one and now you are stuck. Unfortunately you are not the only one in this situation and please God it gets sorted for you but blaming everyone left right and centre won't help anything.

As a backup plan its time to start looking into alternative solutions and how you would work around these. Again you won't be the only one that it will be awkward for but in the end of the day we don't always get what we want or deserve. Hopefully there will be a large list of cancellations and you might be lucky but for now I think you need to look at different options