A cross-border education survey will take place next week, it has been announced.

The survey will aim to gauge the level of demand among parents living near the border in securing a place for their child at a school in the other jurisdiction.

Education Minister John O’Dowd said: "The nature of the lives of families in the border area continues to evolve. Many parents now live in one jurisdiction and work in the other, but their children can potentially face barriers to crossing the border in search of places in schools. Some of the barriers are legislative in nature and my Department is currently looking at this, however, in many cases, parents are just not aware of the options that may be open to them."

The Minister revealed: "Earlier this year, through the medium of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC), Minister Ruairí Quinn and I agreed to proceed with a joint survey to examine how education is provided along the border corridor and whether there is scope to engage in joint planning of the respective schools’ estates in this area.

"Over the coming weeks a questionnaire will be issued to families in the border area. This is being done through schools. I would encourage parents to take the opportunity to respond so that we can gain a better understanding of their views, concerns, or perceptions about crossing the border to access education."

The area under survey is a six-miles-wide radius on each side of the border for primary schools and a twelve-miles radius for post-primary schools.

The questionnaire will start to issue in the north in the final week of October with questionnaires in the south to follow in November.

(IT)