Country Name: | Isle of Man |
Agency: | Department of Education, Sport and Culture |
Leader Titles: | Minister for Education, Sport and Culture |
Leader Names: | Julie Edge |
Budget: | £96.8 million[1] |
Budget Year: | 2017-18 |
Primary Languages: | English[2] |
Enrollment Year: | 2017 |
Enroll Total: | 11,710 |
Enroll Primary: | 6,492 |
Enroll Secondary: | 5,218 |
Education in the Isle of Man is compulsory for children aged between 5 and 16. As a Crown dependency the Isle of Man parliament and government have competence over all domestic matters, including education; however the structure and curriculum are broadly in line with that of UK schools and particularly the English national curriculum. Education is overseen by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture and regulated by the Isle of Man Education Act 2001. As of September 2017 there were 6,492 pupils in primary schools, and 5,218 pupils in secondary education.
Before 1675 there were no schools in the Isle of Man and any education was provided by the church. This changed with the arrival of Bishop Isaac Barrow, who established a school in every parish.
The education system in the Isle of Man is similar to the system used in England. Primary school consists of seven years, and secondary school of seven years. All five secondary schools in the Isle of Man have a sixth form centre.
See main article: List of schools in the Isle of Man. The Department of Education operates 32 primary schools and 5 secondary schools.[3] Among the primary schools, Bunscoill Ghaelgagh is the only school in the world where children are taught mainly in Manx. Independent schools include King William's College and its junior school, The Buchan School.