Two West Cork secondary schools are part of online enrolment pilot scheme

Two secondary schools in Clonakilty are spearheading a nationwide pilot scheme for online enrolment.

The minister for education and youth, Helen McEntee, announced the launch of the online application system on Wednesday. It will be live until October 22.

The pilot scheme aims to streamline admissions, allowing parents and guardians to apply for first-year places at Clonakilty Community College and Sacred Heart Secondary School, including special-class places.

Fianna Fáil Cork North West TD, Michael Moynihan, who is a minster of state at the Department of Education, said the pilot scheme “will make an enormous difference to families up and down the country”.

“It’s fantastic to see this school admissions pilot system being rolled out,” said Mr Moynihan.

“This will make an enormous difference to families up and down the country and will give peace of mind to parents, especially those seeking a special-educational placement.

“I want to thank the staff, patrons, and management bodies for their continued support in this pilot programme.” 

Learnings from this scheme, and from other admissions processes in place across the country, will inform the development and implementation of the Programme for Government commitment.

A key element is the standardisation of the timeline for the admissions process, including fixed dates for the opening and closing of the application window; synchronised offers of places; and the co-ordination of pre-enrolment on the post-primary online database (PPOD) that will identify duplicate accepted places.

Ms McEntee said this pilot is a major step toward delivering a nationwide common application system.

“The move from primary to post-primary school can be stressful for families and the aim of this new online pilot application is to ease the burden on families around the application phase,” said Ms McEntee.

“This pilot is a first step to introducing a more streamlined approach for families and schools, including those looking for a special-class placement, and will offer valuable insights as we work towards a nationwide rollout.

“A major benefit of the pilot will be that after a parent accepts an offer in round one, any other school in which that parent has accepted a place will be notified.”

For further information on the pilot scheme, visit: www.applytoschool.ie.