Pace of progress of high school replacement criticised in Tynwald

Funds to design a replacement high school were first budgeted in 2018

The pace of progress to replace an ageing high school in the south of the Isle of Man has been criticised at the October sitting of Tynwald.

Education Minister Julie Edge told politicians £3.3m had been set aside to draw up new plans for the rebuild of Castle Rushen High School.

But Tim Glover MHK said it was the third set of designs put forward and many were growing frustrated by delays.

Funds were first set aside to design a new school in 2018.

Ms Edge said while she understood members' frustration, the plans presented to her when she first became minister of the Department of Education, Sport and Culture in 2021 were "a finger drawing".

The latest redesign would see a "superior scheme" developed that took into account the island's "financial challenges" and a further update would be given later this month.

'Communication'

A report in 2021 found the school, which was built in 1961, was not fit for purpose and was a "below par" environment for students.

Mr Glover said many people in the south of the island wanted to "see buckets removed from the corridors and spades in the ground".

Juan Watterson SHK said Tynwald members for the area, parents and school leaders had not had any input into the process, which was going on "behind closed doors".

Calling on the department to engage with the local community throughout the process as the project was "critical for the south", he said.

In response, Ms Edge said there would be a "lot more communication" as the project was developed and the new school had to have the right facilities "for the next 50 years".

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