Waiting lists and fees linked to admissions are to be banned under proposed new laws published today.
But the issue of schools discriminating on the basis of religion will be addressed separately.
Parents campaigning for equal access to education say it will make it easier to get a school place, but children can still be discriminated against.
Juliette Gash reports:
Where a school is not oversubscribed, that'’s 8 in 10 schools,– they will have to admit all students applying.
The Government says the new bill will go a long way in making school admissions fairer.
But the controversial clause on religious schools being allowed discriminate in favour of their ethos remains and is being examined separately, by the Oireachtas Education Committee.
Education Minister Richard Bruton says schools will have to publish their admissions policies too:
