Court move on school 'exclusion'

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A High court judge has cleared the way for the parents of two Londonderry girls to challenge a decision to turn them away from their local school.

The families sought leave for a judicial review after St Cecilia's College withdrew offers of a place.

The parents claimed their daughters were excluded while children from across the border in Donegal were given places at the school.

Lord Chief Justice Brian Kerr said the review could be heard within two weeks.

During a mid-week preliminary hearing, the court was told that some Derry families had moved to Donegal, but were using the addresses of grandparents to secure school places, a practice that had become known as "grannying."

'No identification'

The hearing was adjourned until Friday to enable lawyers for the applicants to change court papers, so that they were in the names of the parents, not the two girls.

Sir Brian directed that the names of the parents should not be published as it would improperly identify the children.

The case is being taken against the Board of Governors, the Western Education and Library Board and the Department of Education.

The Lord Chief Justice said the matter would be given "all the urgency it requires."

St Cecilia's re-opened after the school holidays on Friday.