Under-fire Education Minister Graham Cregeen is facing calls to resign.

The call came from Middle MHK Bill Shimmins during an explosive debate in Tynwald on a private member’s motion on education policy from Garff MHH Daphne Caine, in which Mr Cregeen accused her of ’diatribe of lies and more lies’.

Use of such unparliamentary language prompted a swift rebuke from Tynwald president Steve Rodan.

But Mr Cregeen is also under pressure from head teachers’ union the NAHT, which is currently balloting members for industrial action over pay.

The NAHT has written to the Chief Minister calling for a formal investigation of Mr Cregeen over allegations of ’institutional bullying’.

It questions the conduct and words used by the Minister at meetings to discuss terms and conditions, pay, and the Education Bill.

Howard Quayle said he had instructed chief secretary Will Greenhow to begin an inquiry.

He said Mr Cregeen has said he will fully co-operate with any investigation but Mr Quayle added he was disappointed the letter was made public before an inquiry has taken place.

The NAHT insists it did not release the letter to the media.

During the Tynwald debate, Bill Shimmins said morale among head teachers was low and some teachers and support staff were also ’fed up’ and leaving education to work elsewhere.

’What is the tone set by our Education Minister? Does he enhance or damage relations with the workforce?’ he asked.

He said parents have also raised concerns and they ’sometimes find the department difficult to work with, and in some cases belligerent’.

’Where is the education vision, where is the dynamic leadership to inspire our young people and the workforce? ’ he said.

’I would ask the Chief Minister to carefully consider over the summer recess do we have the dynamic inspirational leader as our Education Minister?

Mrs Caine said had been the ’rumblings of discontent’ have become a ’deafening roar of dissatisfaction and fear for the future of education on this island’.

She said: ’For the first time in living memory we have teaching unions in dispute. I have been aware for many months of increasing concerns from educational professionals plus parents and students.

’Pay is a significant factor but also the level of funding general for school equipment, the replacement policy for IT equipment and the lack of certain subjects that other places have as standard.’

Mr Cregeen insisted Mrs Caine had ’misrepresented the facts’ over league tables, the Education Bill and the pay dispute. He said she had spent last three years ’constantly criticising’ the DESC.

Tynwald overwhelmingly rejected Mrs Caine’s call for education policy to be separated from service delivery.