School leaders’ union claims members’ concerns ‘ignored’ amid Tynwald whistleblowing inquiry

NAHT calls for greater transparency and review of past processes following evidence from senior civil servants

The school leaders’ union has claimed concerns raised by its members are frequently being “overlooked or ignored” as Tynwald’s Select Committee on Whistleblowing Policy Implementation continues its investigation.

The committee was formed following a motion by Onchan MHK Julie Edge in October 2025, to scrutinise how government has implemented the recommendations from a previous 2021 Tynwald resolution.

The committee’s remit specifically includes investigating the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), the effectiveness of the updated whistleblowing policy, and public bodies’ ability to handle serious concerns.

Recently, the committee heard from senior public servants, including the Chief Officer of the Department of Education, Sport and Culture Graham Kinrade.

The National Association of Headteachers (NAHT), which represents school leaders across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and has members on the Isle of Man, also submitted evidence to the inquiry.

Assistant General Secretary Rob Kelsall believes the experiences described by officials during the committee session does not reflect the accounts shared by members of the union.

He says: “The evidence being presented to the inquiry is not the lived experience of our members, whose concerns have often been overlooked or ignored.

“Our priority is to ensure that staff across the education workforce at every level can raise concerns without fear and with full trust in the systems designed to protect them.”

The union was involved in an industrial dispute with DESC last year, citing what it described as the ‘misuse of disciplinary proceedings, disregard for agreed policies, and victimisation of union members’.

NAHT members voted in favour of taking industrial action ahead of the start of the autumn term, though this was ultimately avoided after an agreement was reached with the government to progress several issues and continue discussions on wider concerns affecting school leaders.

The union has previously raised concerns about the handling of an earlier preliminary inquiry connected to the department.

Subsequently, it is calling for an independent review of past processes, along with measures aimed to improve transparency and strengthening how cases involving senior officers are managed.

Mr Kelsall says the work of the Tynwald committee was important in building confidence in whistleblowing systems across government.

“It is in everyone’s interest, including school leaders, staff and the wider public, that these systems are transparent, robust and trusted”, he said.

NAHT maintains it remains ‘committed’ to working constructively to ensure staff feel able to raise concerns safely.

Manx Radio has approached the Department of Education, Sport and Culture for comment.