A better government strategy is needed to replace and upgrade the island’s schools, Education Minister Alex Allinson has admitted.

Dr Allinson told the House of Keys on Tuesday a strategy looking at the requirements of all schools was needed.

’As a department and education service, we need to cast our net wider, we need to look at the larger estate we have of school buildings and have strategic plans for graded replacement of those and refurbishment of those, rather than wait until schools start disintegrating and not providing the right facilities for pupils.’

The minister made the remarks after he was questioned about the proposal to replace the split-site Scoill yn Jubilee primary school in Douglas, using the vacant land where the former Park Road secondary school once stood.

He added: ’We should not wait for buildings within the government estate to become problem-some, we should actually have a clear strategy of when they need refurbishment and when they need replacement and have that in advance, rather than constantly be catching up with ourselves.’

On the plans for Park Road, Dr Allinson said the site ’represents a valuable opportunity within the Scoill yn Jubilee catchment area to provide for a new, 21st century modern replacement school’.

He said the replacement scheme would form part of the department’s Budget bidding process for 2022/23.

The minister added that the department was also looking to progress its current plans, including the new science and technology block at Queen Elizabeth II High School in Peel and the replacement of Castle Rushen High School development.

Chris Thomas (Douglas Central) said the Park Road plan was ’great news’. He referred to the independent inspector’s advice on the area plan for the east.

The Park Road site is zoned for mainly residential use but the inspector said education chiefs could acquire the site and apply for planning permission as a ’departure’ from the area plan, and the existing two school sites could become available for ’eventual residential development’.

Dr Allinson said that was still on the table and referred to the potential use of Ballaquayle and Murray’s Road sites for housing in a bid to allay concerns of other MHKs.

Julie Edge (Onchan) commented: ’I have concerns about how two schools, which are quite young, can then receive a brand new school on a vacant site in Douglas.’

She queried why there was no mention in the eastern area plan of a new school for Onchan, which has 626 pupils - occupying one school built in 1972 and one partly built in 1876 - compared with the 375 on the roll for Scoill yn Jubilee.

’I have real concerns about the strategic policy in the department for the creation of new primary schools.’

Dr Allinson defended the Scoill yn Jubilee replacement plan.

’What we are dealing with particularly at Scoill yn Jubilee are buildings that were not built to last that length of time but are failing now to provide the facilities that both the teachers, staff and children need, that are hot during summer, cold during winter and really do need replacement,’ he said.

Bill Shimmins (Middle) said there was a ’high quality’ architects’ scheme for housing on the Park Road site that had been ’sitting in drawers in government for a number of years’.

He argued there were alternative sites for new schools in the capital. But Dr Allinson said he was not familiar with any others in the Scoill yn Jubilee catchment area.

Responding to Ms Edge’s complaints, former education minister Graham Cregeen pointed out that the Education Department has ’undertaken a review about a new Onchan school’.

Department member Ann Corlett (Douglas Central) said that presently, those pupils at Scoill yn Jubilee who were destined to go to St Ninian’s High School had to move from Ballaquayle, to Murray’s Road, to Bemahague and onto St Ninian’s ’all before they sit their GCSEs’.