Manx education chief resigns following critical report

Teachers have been in a dispute over pay with the education department since 2018

The chief executive of the Manx education department has resigned two days after a report criticised its "combative" relationship with teachers, the government has confirmed.

Ronald Barr, who had previously worked as a lecturer in the US and UK, had been in the post for seven years.

The education department has been involved in an ongoing dispute over pay with teachers since 2018.

Mr Barr thanked the department and said it was "time for a change".

An independent review into the education department's relationship with teachers was commissioned by the government in February amid the continuing salary dispute.

It found that a "long-standing battle of wills" had led to a "cracked relationship" that had culminated in the pay row.

The report said the dispute was about the "wider cultural iceberg" rather than being directly related to money.

Mr Barr said it was his "privilege to work with many of the island's educators".

Education minister Alex Allinson praised Mr Barr for his "dedication" and wished him "the very best for the future".