Secretary of State for Education
| Secretary of State for Education | |
|---|---|
since 5 July 2024 | |
| Department for Education (England) | |
| Style |
|
| Type | Minister of the Crown |
| Status | Secretary of State |
| Member of | |
| Reports to | The Prime Minister |
| Seat | Westminster |
| Nominator | The Prime Minister |
| Appointer | The Monarch (on the advice of the Prime Minister) |
| Term length | At His Majesty's Pleasure |
| Formation |
|
| First holder | William Cowper-Temple (as Vice-President of the Committee of the Council on Education) |
| Deputy | Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education |
| Salary | £159,038 per annum (2022)[1] (including £86,584 MP salary)[2] |
| Website | gov |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Politics of the United Kingdom |
|---|
The secretary of state for education, also referred to as the education secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for the work of the Department for Education,[3] mainly overseeing education in England. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. As education is fully devolved to the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive, the post holder has no jurisdiction or influence in education policy or direction in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.[4]
The office holder works alongside the other Education ministers. The corresponding shadow minister is the shadow secretary of state for education, and the work of the secretary of state is also scrutinised by the Education Select Committee.[5]
The current education secretary is Bridget Phillipson.
Responsibilities
Corresponding to what is generally known as an education minister in many other countries, the education secretary's remit is concerned primarily with England. This includes:
- Early years
- Children's social care
- Teacher recruitment and retention
- The national curriculum
- School improvement
- Academies and free schools
- Further education
- Apprenticeships and skills
- Higher education
- Oversight of the departmental coronavirus (COVID-19) response
- Oversight of school infrastructure improvement[6]
History
A committee of the Privy Council was appointed in 1839 to supervise the distribution of certain government grants in the education field.[7] The members of the committee were the Lord President of the Council, the Secretaries of State, the First Lord of the Treasury, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. From 1857 a vice-president was appointed who took responsibility for policy.
On 1 April 1900, the Board of Education Act 1899 abolished the committee and instituted a new board, headed by a president. The members were initially very similar to the old committee and the president of the board was the Lord President of the council; however, from 1902 this ceased to be the case and the president of the board was appointed separately (although the Marquess of Londonderry happened to hold both jobs from 1903 to 1905).
The Education Act 1944 replaced the Board of Education with a new Ministry of Education.
The position of Secretary of State for Education and Science was created in 1964 with the merger of the offices of Minister of Education and the Minister for Science. The postholder oversaw the Department of Education and Science.
From June 1970 to March 1974, this post was held by future prime minister Margaret Thatcher.[8]
In 1992, the responsibility for science was transferred to the Cabinet Office as the Office of Science and Technology, and the department was renamed Department of Education. In 1995 the department merged with the Department of Employment to become the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) and in 2001 the employment functions were transferred to a newly created Department for Work and Pensions, with the DfEE becoming the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). In 2007 under Gordon Brown's new premiership, the DfES was split into two new departments; the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and a Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, under two new secretaries of state.
In 2002 the position was incorporated as a corporation sole.[9]
The ministerial office of the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills was, in late 2009, amalgamated into the new ministerial office of Peter Mandelson, as the newly-created Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills – itself an amalgamation of the responsibilities of the Secretaries of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Innovation, Universities and Skills. The Secretary of State has remit over higher education policy as well as British business and enterprise.
From 14 July 2016 to 8 January 2018 the post was held by Justine Greening, as her predecessor, Nicky Morgan, was sacked by Theresa May. Greening resigned after rejecting a reshuffle to the Department for Work and Pensions.[10]
On 7 July 2022, Michelle Donelan became the shortest-serving cabinet member in British history, when she resigned as Education Secretary 35 hours after being appointed.[11]
List of office holders
Vice-President of the Committee of the Council on Education (1857–1902)
Colour key (for political parties):
Whig
Conservative
Liberal
President of the Board of Education (1900–1944)
Colour key (for political parties):
Liberal Unionist
Conservative
Liberal
Labour
National Labour
Minister of Education (1944–1964)
Colour key (for political parties):
Conservative
Labour
Secretary of State for Education and Science (1964–1992)
Colour key (for political parties):
Conservative
Labour
Secretary of State for Education (1992–1995)
Colour key (for political parties):
Conservative
| Secretary of State | Term of office | Party | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Patten[22] MP for Oxford West and Abingdon |
10 April 1992 | 20 July 1994 | Conservative | John Major | |||
| Gillian Shephard[23] MP for South West Norfolk |
20 July 1994 | 5 July 1995 | Conservative | ||||
Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1995–2001)
Responsibility for Employment moved to the newly formed Department for Work and Pensions.
Colour key (for political parties):
Conservative
Labour
| Secretary of State | Term of office | Party | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gillian Shephard[23] MP for South West Norfolk |
5 July 1995 | 1 May 1997 | Conservative | John Major | |||
| David Blunkett[24] MP for Sheffield Brightside |
1 May 1997 | 8 June 2001 | Labour | Tony Blair | |||
Secretary of State for Education and Skills (2001–2007)
Colour key (for political parties):
Labour
| Secretary of State | Term of office | Party | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estelle Morris[25] MP for Birmingham Yardley |
8 June 2001 | 24 October 2002 (resigned) |
Labour | Tony Blair | |||
| Charles Clarke[26] MP for Norwich South |
24 October 2002 | 15 December 2004 | Labour | ||||
| Ruth Kelly[27] MP for Bolton West |
15 December 2004 | 5 May 2006 | Labour | ||||
| Alan Johnson[28] MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle |
5 May 2006 | 28 June 2007 | Labour | ||||
Secretaries of State for Children, Schools and Families (2007–2010); and Innovation, Universities and Skills (2007–2009)
In 2007, the education portfolio was divided between the Department for Children, Schools and Families (responsible for infant, primary and secondary education) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (responsible for further, higher and adult education). In 2009, the latter department was merged into the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
Colour key (for political parties):
Labour
Labour Co-op
| Name | Term of office | Length of term | Political party | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Balls[29] MP for Normanton |
28 June 2007 | 11 May 2010 | 2 years, 10 months and 13 days | Labour Co-op | Gordon Brown | |||
Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
Colour key (for political parties):
Labour
| Name | Term of office | Length of term | Political party | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Denham[30] MP for Southampton Itchen |
28 June 2007 | 5 June 2009 | 1 year, 11 months and 8 days | Labour | Gordon Brown | |||
Secretary of State for Education (2010–present)
The Department for Education and the post of Secretary of State for Education were recreated in 2010.
Responsibility for higher and adult education remained with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (Vince Cable 2010–2015, Sajid Javid 2015–2016), until reunited with the Department for Education in 2016.
Colour key (for political parties):
Conservative
* Incumbent's length of term last updated: 25 March 2026.
Timeline of education secretaries
References
- ^ "Salaries of Members of His Majesty's Government – Financial Year 2022–23" (PDF). 15 December 2022.
- ^ "Pay and expenses for MPs". parliament.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- ^ "Secretary of State for Education". gov.uk. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "Moving to a Devolved Administration < RAF Families Federation". RAF Families Federation. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ "Work of the Education Secretary Committee". BBC PARLIAMENT. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
Recorded coverage of the Education select committee on the work of the Secretary of State with Education Secretary Michael Gove
- ^ "Secretary of State for Education – GOV.UK". gov.uk.
- ^ "Records created or inherited by the Department of Education and Science, and of related bodies". The National Archives. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ a b Wilby, Peter (2020). "Is Gavin Williamson the worst education secretary ever?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 February 2021.
Margaret Thatcher, the only education secretary so far who went on to become prime minister
- ^ "The Secretaries of State for Education and Skills and for Work and Pensions Order 2002", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2002/1397
- ^ "Reshuffle: Greening quits government". BBC News Online. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ Gutteridge, Nick (7 July 2022). "Minister who quit after 35 hours is in line for £17,000 payout". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ^ "No. 27172". The London Gazette. 9 March 1900. p. 1609.
- ^ "Page 3721 | Issue 36651, 11 August 1944 | London Gazette | The Gazette". www.thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
- ^ "Baroness Thatcher". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ "Lord Prentice". UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Lord Mulley". UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Baroness Williams of Crosby". UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Lord Joseph". UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Lord Baker of Dorking". UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Lord MacGregor of Pulham Market". UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Lord Clarke of Nottingham". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ "Lord Patten". UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Baroness Shephard of Northwold". UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Lord Blunkett". UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Baroness Morris of Yardley". UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Rt Hon Charles Clarke". UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Ruth Kelly". UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Rt Hon Alan Johnson". UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Rt Hon Ed Balls". UK Parliament. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ "Rt Hon John Denham". UK Parliament. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ "Rt Hon Michael Gove MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ "Baroness Morgan of Cotes". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ "Rt Hon Justine Greening". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ "Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ "Rt Hon Gavin Williamson MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ "Nadhim Zahawi MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ Gutteridge, Nick (7 July 2022). "Minister who quit after 35 hours is in line for £17,000 payout". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
- ^ @10DowningStreet (7 July 2022). "The Rt Hon James Cleverly MP @JamesCleverly has been appointed Secretary of State for Education @educationgovuk" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @10DowningStreet (6 September 2022). "The Rt Hon Kit Malthouse MP @KitMalthouse as Secretary of State for Education @EducationGovUK #Reshuffle" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
See also
- Category:British secretaries of state for education