Education minister reveals cost range of controversial school validation contract

DESC says public interest 'not served' by releasing exact figure

The education minister has confirmed that the cost of a contract for external validation of Isle of Man schools falls between £150,000 and £250,000 over its three-year duration.

Daphne Caine wrote to all Tynwald members following increasing pressure over the Department of Education, Sport and Culture’s refusal to disclose the precise cost of the agreement with education inspection firm Etio.

While she reiterated concerns that publishing the exact figure could harm the Island’s ability to negotiate future contracts, she acknowledged that many politicians would consider a cost range an acceptable compromise.

The minister explained the figure includes travel, accommodation and expenses for the external validation team, as well as the production of individual reports and annual overviews for the Island’s schools and educational services.

She added that feedback from an extended pilot, which allowed time for union consultation, had led to the development of a quality assurance framework – expected to be published in July – and improvements to the information shared with parents and carers.

The disclosure comes ahead of a Tynwald motion from Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper, who is calling for full transparency around the validation process, including the release of unredacted reports and the framework document underpinning them.

Mrs Caine committed to handing over the reports to the Public Accounts Committee, but insists their contents should not be made available to the wider public, prompting additional criticism from backbenchers.

Mrs Caine says she hopes the new information “provides reassurance” over the value for money achieved through the contract but maintains that the public interest is not served by disclosing the precise figure while the contract remains active.