Education Minister Alex Allinson has said sorry to teachers for the way they have been treated and to pupils for the impact of long-running industrial unrest on their learning.

The apology came this week, as the Department of Education, Sport and Culture faces a major culture change after the damning report into the fractured relationship between education leaders and school workers.

Dr Allinson, who took over as minister six months ago, told Tynwald the findings of the Beamans Report reflected his own perspective, that the most significant weakness in his department was cultural.

’I apologise that a culture has developed which has distracted from common values, disrupted effective communication and destroyed much positive collaboration,’ he said.

’I apologise to the teachers and school staff who have felt under-valued and silenced.

’I apologise to staff at (DESC headquarters) Hamilton House, who have tried to carry out their valuable roles to support our schools and vulnerable children but had sometimes felt confined by a prevailing negative atmosphere of mistrust.’

He added: ’Most of all, I apologise to the young people and parents of our island. Your education, your life chances and your futures should come first and we must do better.’

Tynwald members debated the Beamans Report, on Tuesday. The report’s release last month was followed by the resignation of department chief executive Ronald Barr.

The report recommends separating operational and policy matters and calls for an Education Board to replace the current Education Council.

The government is not committing to the board proposal but is promising an interim structure to be in place next year.

’Any work to repair a relationship relies on trust, respect and effort from all sides,’ Dr Allinson said. ’I am holding an open hand. The only way forward is for all areas of the education service to work together.’

He committed to work with teacher representatives to resolve disputes and plan for greater consultation and co-operation.

He also acknowledged concerns about communication between the DESC leadership and teachers, and over governance and support for schools, plus the industrial dispute with teachers ’which has now led to action short of a strike and is harming our children’s education’.

Julie Edge (Onchan) challenged that claim.

’As far as I am aware the only thing that the teachers are not doing is perhaps doing the additional work that is not in their contracts to do in the first place,’ she said.

Former DESC member Lawrie Hooper (LibVannin, Ramsey) sounded a warning over the proposed restructuring with the board and changes to governance.

He said: ’This proposal might actually be taking us down an academy route, which has not shown widespread success in the UK and which, as far as I can recall, does not have support from teaching professionals on the island.’

Dr Allinson acknowledged the academy system in the UK had often been divisive, with educational trusts competing against each other, and that was not the plan for the island.

The minister added: ’What this report recommends is not a department-led education service but a school-led education service and if I can achieve that I may have earned your trust.’

Members voted to receive the report and to consider a detailed action plan from the department in January.