More than 2,400 student suspension days at secondary schools in the year 23/24

Rising at St Ninians this term but falling at three other schools

A total of more than 2,400 days of suspension have been imposed on students at Manx secondary schools so far in the 2023/24 school year.

That’s according to figures from Minister for Education, Sport and Culture Daphne Caine, who responded to a written question from Douglas North MHK, David Ashford, on the issue this week.

The school with the highest number of suspension days so far this year is Ballakermeen High School with 1,123 and 200 students.

St Ninian’s recorded 763 days, an increase from 621.5 in 2022/23. At Ramsey Grammar School there was a fall of 253 compared to 598.5 in 2022/23.

Currently, lockdown days have also fallen at Castle Rushen High School and QEII High School.

The Castletown institution has imposed 203 suspension days so far this academic year, compared to 213 in 2022/23.

The Peel-based QEII recorded 89.5 days for 2023/24, up from 134 in the previous academic year.

According to DESC, the suspension policy states that “normally, the school is required to provide means and resources for the continuation of learning (in whatever form) for suspended students during this period.”

For this reason, the Department does not consider formal suspensions to be formal learning losses.