There are no plans to include a policy on religious schools in the long-awaited Education Bill.

The bill, meant to be the flagship legislation from the Department of Education, was originally meant to be in place for the start of the 2018/19 year, but a draft has yet to be published.

A consultation process took place on certain issues towards the end of last year.

Education Minister Graham Cregeen told the House of Keys there was no current policy on religious schools but, in response to a question from Bill Shimmins (Middle), said there would be an opportunity to cover that area in further consultation on the bill.

However, when Mr Shimmins asked if that meant a new policy would be introduced in the bill, the Minister said: ’No.’

Mr Shimmins was unimpressed with the response.

’This is a sensitive issue and potentially the Education Bill provides an opportunity to address the issue with an appropriate policy,’ he said.

He asked ’what factors’ the minister would take into account when considering if a policy would be appropriate.

Mr Cregeen adopted a more conciliatory tone and replied: ’These are maintained schools, so they fall under the policy of the maintained schools.

’I am more than happy to discuss this with [Mr Shimmins].’

There are two ’religious’ primary schools in the Isle of Man, both in Douglas. They are St Mary’s RC School and St Thomas’s, the Church of England school that is set to ’co-locate’ at Scoill Vallajeelt in a contentious arrangement that will see two schools operate separately upon one site.