Naming and shaming teachers online causing 'significant distress'

Last week, a parent raised concerns about the handling of payment for non-uniform days at St Ninian's High School.

They took to social media to accuse a specific teacher of 'bullying' their child into paying the £1 charity donation to take part.

The parent claimed they stood at the front door stopping children to pay it, before going class by class to read out a list of names of children who hadn't done so.

They questioned when it became a mandatory payment rather than a voluntary contribution, and whether it meant those from low-income families would be excluded from taking part if they couldn't afford it.

Another parent accused a different teacher of 'shaming' their 11-year-old dyslexic daughter for her spelling during her English class at Bemahague - which is the lower school of St Ninian's.

They also publicly named the teacher and said the school as a whole wasn't understanding of her child's autism-related behaviour.

Both parents said they had tried to speak to the schools involved directly but weren't happy with the responses they got.

The first claims to have spoken to the teacher concerned, warning them they would 'go public' with the discussion when it didn't resolve the issues they had, while the second said their emails had been consistently ignored.

Manx Radio has now heard back from the Department of Education, Sport and Culture after approaching them for comment when the first post was shared last week.

A spokesperson says the department is committed to supporting families and ensuring all students can participate in school activities, regardless of their financial circumstances.

They say students are given the opportunity to donate £1 to wear non-uniform, and while all those who participate are encouraged to contribute, no student is ever turned away if they're not able to.

The days are said to be a long-standing tradition and well-established as positive charitable events.

The department's also issued a separate statement about how the community should provide any feedback it might have.

It says it's aware of comments and statements made online recently, but requests these are addressed through the appropriate channels available - either via the school or the department.

This is said to make sure concerns can be resolved as soon as possible.

The statement says the naming of individuals on social media has had a negative impact on both their professional and personal lives and can cause significant distress.

The Department wants to remind the public that its staff are dedicated professionals committed to serving the community, and that constructive dialogue and mutual respect are essential for fostering a positive environment for students, staff, parents and the wider community.

It finishes by saying that following the proper channels means they can work together to create a supportive and respectful environment for all.

If you have any concerns you want to raise with the department, you can find out how here.