Pupils on Pause

Nearly 60 secondary school pupils were suspended for 10 days or more last year, according to figures revealed in the House of Keys.

Education Minister Daphne Caine confirmed that between September 2024 and July 2025, 52 secondary pupils were suspended for 10–19 days, with a further six off school for 20 days or more.

No primary school pupils were suspended for that long during the same period.

The figures were released in response to a question from Arbory, Castletown and Malew’s finest Jason Moorhouse, amid wider concerns about behaviour and consistency across schools.

Mrs Caine stressed that suspension is used only as a last resort, saying it’s applied ‘often reluctantly’ and usually where safety is at risk or behaviour is extreme.

She told the Keys that schools are supported by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture, including access to educational psychology services and tailored support plans for pupils at risk of suspension.

Further details, including the total number of school days lost, may be shared with members at a later date.