School place race 'behind baptism boost'

Parents are believed to be behind a surge in last-minute baptisms in the hopes of landing a place in oversubscribed Catholic schools.

According to a report, baptisms of children aged between one and 13-years-old jumped from 5.4 per cent of the total entry in church in 1958 to 30.3 per cent in 2005.

The Pastoral Research Centre Trust said the 2005 figure includes a "few" teenagers and adults over the age of 13 years old, but most of the late baptisms were of children under this age.

Tony Spencer, of the trust, said he believed the rise in late baptisms was a result of "marginal" Catholics attempting to ensure a place for their children at Catholic schools.

He said: "We are now in a situation where because of the 1959 Act, by the time you reached the 1970s, Catholic schools were no longer impoverished, and they were becoming good, very good and excellent schools.

"Because of that, the demand for places increased, not only from Catholics but from the rest of the community. It is a great compliment from the community at large to the quality of the Catholic school system."

A Department for Children, Schools and Families spokeswoman said: "As Ed Balls made clear only this week, it is for local communities to determine the types of schools that they want.

"All schools are bound by our new admissions code which stipulates fair admissions policy for all schools. Schools are under a legal duty to promote community cohesion, understanding and tolerance."

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