Ofsted’s chief quits over Isle of Wight slur
SCHOOL standards chief David Hoare quit yesterday after he sparked a row by calling the Isle of Wight a “ghetto” blighted by “inbreeding”.
The former businessman is resigning after two years as chairman of Ofsted.
He was panned after being caught on tape at a teaching conference making disparaging remarks about the Isle of Wight community.
Mr Hoare, who has a home on the nearby mainland, said education on the island was often a topic of conversation with dinner guests.
Shocking
He said: “They think of it as holiday land. But it is shocking. It’s a ghetto – there has been inbreeding.”
He apologised after his remarks became public, and insisted: “I am passionate about improving outcomes for children from our most disadvantaged communities and my comments were made in this context.”
But local Tory MP Andrew Turner said his resignation was “clearly for the best”, adding: “The role of Ofsted is to help improve education, not demoralise teachers, insult parents and pupils and those involved in raising standards.”