Tensions boil over in education debate

Under-fire minister defends position

"Rumblings of discontent" in the Island's schools have now become "a deafening roar of dissatisfaction", according to a longstanding critic of the education department, Daphne Caine MHK.

During the debate sparked by her motion in Tynwald yesterday, which proposed a separation of policy from service delivery in the department, the member for Garff took it as an opportunity to air a collection of her concerns over the current direction of the Manx education system.

It was a speech which did not go down well with the minister, Graham Cregeen, whom in passionate defence of his department's record, defied parliamentary language etiquette and was pulled up by the president, Steve Rodan.

Aaron Ibanez has this report:

Following the sitting, Dollin Mercer asked Mr Cregeen to respond to the calls from Mr Shimmins for his position as education minister to be reviewed by the chief minister over the summer recess, implying he was not fit for office:

So why did Mr Shimmins feel the need to make those comments? Dollin asked him to qualify his remarks: