Parents of children at a Douglas primary school are calling on all parents concerned about a proposal to operate two schools from a single site to make their opinions known.

The comments were made in the wake of moves by the Department of Education and Children to move pupils from St Thomas’s Church of England School on Finch Road, to Vallajeelt in Saddlestone.

The Isle of Man Examiner has reported concerns by a group of parents about siting the schools together on a single campus rather than simply merging them.

A spokesman for the group said: ’We are still yet to meet anyone who actually thinks this is a good idea.’

Now they are calling on anyone concerned at the move to make their views known by writing to the DEC.

’A major concern is the fact the DEC feel that in the 21st century it is acceptable to segregate children based on religion. The DEC are describing Vallajeelt as a ’secular’ school when the reality is that we have a very diverse mix of children which demonstrates that despite race or religion each pupil is equal.

’However this is not the case as the DEC feels it needs to promote the message that if you are of a certain religion then you must be segregated.

He said other concerns centred on traffic in the Saddlestone area and whether Vallajeelt could actually cope with the influx. While extensions to the school in previous years mean it has the classroom space, he suggested other facilities like the school hall would be inadequate to cope with extra children.

Many parents have already written to Education Minister, Graham Cregeen, but the spokesman branded his responses as ’shocking’, saying there was no proper plan in place as to how the co-location would work in practice.

In a letter to Mr Cregeen, one parent wrote: ’Nobody is denying the fact that St Thomas’ need a new school and as far as we can tell the Vallajeelt community are being very welcoming in saying (in a very Christian and open way) ’Join us’. One merged school or two separate sites surely must be the only option here.

Another said it was ’religious segregation which should not be tolerated in the 21st century.

The Reverend John Coldwell said in fact, by objecting to the co-location, people were being intolerant of religion: ’We are supposed to live in an inclusive society and yet it looks as if people are trying to create a situation where there is no religion. The Isle of Man is supposed to be a tolerant and inclusive society so what are we going to try to exclude next?’