Admission Act 2018: a major stumbling block for divestment - w/ Alan Hynes

Admission Act 2018: a major stumbling block for divestment - w/ Alan Hynes

From Education Nation by State of the Nation

April 15, 2026 · 1h 41m · Season 2 · Episode 7

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 on school admissions and divestment from Catholic schools.

The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 has undoubtedly improved fairness and transparency. The Act for the first time required that every school publish a clear, nondiscriminatory admissions policy and that they follow an agreed common national timeline. There is no doubt that parents now have greater confidence in how places are allocated. But one unintended consequence means that Catholic schools can no longer give priority to children of Catholic families. In the opinion of Alan Hynes this is the decisive factor that has prevented communities from supporting divestment. Parents are reluctant to relinquish a denominational school if they cannot be assured that their children will have priority access to the remaining Catholic option.

People in this episode

Guest: Alan Hynes

Topics covered

  • education policy
  • admissions
  • divestment
  • fairness
  • transparency
  • Catholic schools

Keywords

  • Admission Act 2018
  • school admissions
  • divestment
  • Catholic families
  • fairness
  • transparency

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Catholic schools

Books & works: Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018

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