Dublin parents to protest against Educate Together postcode discrimination

Parents in central Dublin are set to protest tomorrow.

The protest will be in regards to a new Educate Together secondary school planned for the Harold's Cross area. Under the catchment rules children living in the Dublin 6 and 6w area will be able to attend while nearby postcodes Dublin 8 and 12 will be excluded. Parents of children living in Dublin 8 and Dublin 12 are unhappy that their children may not be able to attend one of the few post-primary Educate Together schools in Dublin and plan to protest in Harold’s Cross Park this Friday. Parents say that they are outraged and confused as to why children in central Dublin fall under the catchment for the Educate Together in Sandymount but not for Harold's Cross which is closer. Posting om the Protest for Postcode Equality in Education page organisers said;

"As you may already know, the ETHX Campaign group has been campaigning for a secondary school that is co-educational, multi-denominational, non-fee paying, with a full Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate curriculum available, and for the Dublin 6, Dublin 6W, Dublin 8 and Dublin 12 areas. We have been reasonable; we have presented the Department of Education with a simple, cost-effective solution to our lack of choice in post-primary education for our children, but to no avail."

Parents say they will give one last show of force at Harold's Cross Park at 3 pm on Friday, August 30. The Protest for Postcode Equality in Education is set to march to Harold's Cross Bridge in a demonstration in their disappointment at the decision-making process around the Harold's Cross post-primary site. Over 100 parents have already registered for the protest with even more expected to join on the day.