The decision by the Archdiocese of Dublin and local schools to pilot a new enrolment system in two west Dublin Catholic schools is a worthy attempt to adopt a more inclusive approach. It is a response to a situation where the "Catholic first" policy of some schools led to the effective exclusion of foreign nationals - and raised fears about a new, segregated primary school system.
The new system has two major potential benefits. First, it should help to ensure that the population of each school more accurately mirrors its local community. Second, it could help ensure that the challenge of multi-culturalism is shouldered more evenly among all schools.
Under the new quota system, the "Catholic first" approach will be abandoned in favour of a quota system. In all , one third of places will be reserved for non-Catholics. By their nature, quota systems such as this can be crude and problematic. In this case, it may be that Catholic parents - whose children are turned away - make seek legal redress under the Education Act. Both schools are located in areas of west Dublin where the education infrastructure has lamentably failed to keep pace with the surge in population. With parents often desperate to secure a school place, the new quota system will come under intense pressure.
The good news is that the Equality Authority sees no legal difficulty with this kind of positive discrimination designed to boost integration. And it is important to acknowledge that the starting point for this quota system, however imperfect and arbitrary, is a genuine desire to be more inclusive and welcoming. The strength of the primary school system in this State lies in its closeness to its community and its inclusive approach. Unlike the more polarised second-level sector, it is still common to see pupils of all social backgrounds - and increasingly of different faiths - in the one class and in the one school. The controversy in Balbriggan, north Dublin last year - where the spectre of a segregated primary school system was raised- shocked the system to its core. That said, it has responded to the controversy with vigour and generosity. The INTO, in particular, deserves credit for its advocacy of a genuinely inclusive system of primary education. The Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Martin, also deserves praise for the leadership he has shown on this issue. The new quota system in west Dublin is no panacea but it is a first attempt to ensure our schools reflect the reality of the multi-cultural society we have become. The next challenge is to establish a new system of school patronage for primary schools which also reflects these new realities.