Pregnant teenager not admitted to school

Anne Cordelia Shirley · by **Anne Cordelia Shirley** » Mon Apr 30, 2022 7:26 am

http://www.thejournal.ie/not-a-dumping- ... 2-Apr2012/

What do we think of this? A pregnant teenager was denied a place because the school is 'not a dumping ground'. Not a very Christian attitude surely. And I wonder if a teenage boy who'd gotten a girl pregnant would be treated the same way. It's a State funded school.

Ellefun · by **Ellefun** » Mon Apr 30, 2022 7:56 am

That happened by cousin. She was pregnant going into 6th year and was refused re-admission to the school she had been going to. A girl in our neighbourhood also got pregnant and the same happened to her. (These incidents are all 10+ years ago.) Some balls about her being a distraction to other pupils/setting a bad example. One was a co-ed school, the other an all girls school. The fathers in question had no such hard time. They got into other local schools though and continued their education. It is ridiculous behaviour imo.

Smileykaz · by **Smileykaz** » Mon Apr 30, 2022 7:56 am

I saw this over the weekend and read through the Ombudsman's report. Really horrible shocking stuff. It seems a mad set up in that school, no Board of Management, no Parents Association. Basically it's just a one man show, the principal makes all the decisions. Was really snotty to both the child's mother and to the Ombudsman. Was SO surprised at the response to the Ombudsman. My husband is a teacher and I just know the amount of paperwork he does for child protection issues and how everythign has to be perfect and how the principal needs everything 100 per cent for when the Department calls or when the inspector comes in like. They passed their Whole School Inspection with flying colours because they had everything so ready and up to scratch, you know? So to hear of a school like this who not only discriminates against this child and treats her appallingly but who also are rude and uncooperative with the Department and the Ombudsman. In writing! Can't get over that at all.

Schools are allowed to have a Catholic ethos and the Ombudsman herself says this, but they have to be within the spirit of the law! And within the spirit of common decency.

It said in the report that the girl had already been in two secondary schools and had been unhappy there...so it's obvious to me the girl needed a lot of support, she was already very vulnerable to my mind..then she becomes pregnant making her even more vulnerable and she's treated like this? Horrible. Completely wrong.

I would like to and hope to send my own children in the future to a Catholic school but I would be appalled if the school I picked treated another child like this. That's wholly unacceptable to me.

At the end of the Ombudsman's report she says that she accepts that the Department will set in place things that she asked them to do, but she has no such assurance about the school and is going to take more steps. Anyone know what those steps will be? Will she take a court case now? I really hope she does and shames that principal, it's appalling.

Mamabelle2011 · by **Mamabelle2011** » Mon Apr 30, 2022 8:14 am

I applaud the girl for wanting to continue her education but i feel there is much more to this story than the media are reporting.

ohsotired · by **ohsotired** » Mon Apr 30, 2022 8:17 am

Emily Logan was on Newstalk this morning & by all accounts the Principal sounds like a right d*ck! Disgraceful attitude to have and one man's interpretation of what 'ethos' are imho!

kittycatt24 · by **kittycatt24** » Mon Apr 30, 2022 8:21 am

Wow it's like something from the dark ages!! Should she go to a magdalene laundry too?? Poor girl.

They have several grounds to sue them on discrimination according to Equality/Equal Status Act. If they have been on to Equality Authority there will mor tha likely be a case against the school.

Anne Cordelia Shirley · by **Anne Cordelia Shirley** » Mon Apr 30, 2022 8:55 am

It seems the girl in question wants to remain anonymous so I doubt the school will be named. I just find the comments made by the person in charge of the school appaling and totally unchristian. A real lack of compassion towards a vulnerable girl, compounded by the fact that this is a State funded school which seems to operate outside the normal rules of schools. I also wonder how the school deals with boys who are or are about to be teenage fathers-its easy to pick out a girl with a bump and exclude her isn't it?

Mari yay · by **Mari yay** » Mon Apr 30, 2022 8:56 am

Just on reading that, the attitude of the school is just so wrong, even towards the ombudsman, their reply is so dismissive. They seem to think they should not be subject to an investigation, or even a complaint.
Not a nice attitude, feel sorry for the girl, no one should be treated like this.

Couchkitten · by **Couchkitten** » Mon Apr 30, 2022 9:19 am

This is one of the reasons why I think state funded schools should be secular. Any school with a Catholic ethos is allowed by law to maintain the ethos of their school, legally an unmarried teacher living with a partner can be sacked as can an openly gay teacher as can a teacher who has a child out of wedlock. Sate funded schools should provide a neutral ethos for everybody, not just some.

eefc · by **eefc** » Mon Apr 30, 2022 9:23 am

I went to a convent school and there were two girls, one a year ahead of me and one the year below me (when I was in 4th year) that both got pregnant. They were allowed to attend school but were not allowed to wear their uniform. That was the condition. Never found out why but at least they were able to go to school. That's about 12 years ago now.

BlairWaldorf · by **BlairWaldorf** » Mon Apr 30, 2022 10:40 am

Couchkitten wrote:This is one of the reasons why I think state funded schools should be secular.

Plus one. I don't think religion should have any place in schools.... and certainly should not stop someone from getting an education. That man is a complete disgrace.

cabbagehead · by **cabbagehead** » Mon Apr 30, 2022 10:44 am

I went to a convent secondary school, and a girl two years below me (who was 14 at the time) fell pregnant. She stayed in school right up until the last minute, she got permission towards the end to wear non-uniform clothes. Not a word of judgement was passed, she was treated like every other student.

The principal was a very strict Catholic (the guy made our librarian take down some postcards she's bought in an art gallery and displayed in the library because there was nudity in them :o0

), but he helped her and her family every way he could, for which I admire him to this day. He must have been under ferocious pressure from the nuns and the priest on the Board of Management, but my Dad (also on the board at that time) said the principal defended her right to education to the death.

The principal in this case sounds like the worst kind of dogmatic @sshole.

marles · by **marles** » Mon Apr 30, 2022 11:13 am

According to the news this morning,the DES have carried out an unannounced inspection and requested to see all policies. When this school had their WSE,they were given a "note" or criticised for the lack of many policies,no BOM,no parent's association. The WSE listed the lack of a management structure within the school. These were all things which should have been corrected by now. I can't imagine it is a fun place for the staff to be.

The young lady was correct to bring her case to the ombudsman,she could have actually brought it to court. She would have had greater success in going to court as the ombudsman has no real power to force the school to enroll her.
It is such a shame the school haven't been named and shamed.

Anne Cordelia Shirley · by **Anne Cordelia Shirley** » Mon Apr 30, 2022 11:22 am

The school has been named online. Not sure if I should name it here, but if you google WSE and the comments of the school manager, it will come up. It is in Tipperary.

Smileykaz · by **Smileykaz** » Mon Apr 30, 2022 11:30 am

I think the reasoning behind the Ombudsman not naming the school was to protect the identity of the young one involved. I'd imagine locals know all about it, but she probably doesn't want her face/name splashed all around Ireland.

I imagine most of the papers are looking for her now. She may agree to an interview as there's been such a lot of interest in this, but I don't think anybody should 'out' her.

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