Secretary of State for Education

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^[5]

A committee of the Privy Council was appointed in 1839 to supervise the distribution of certain government grants in the education field.^[6] 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 of 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.^[7]

In 1992, the responsibility for science was transferred to Cabinet Office's Office of Public Service, 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.

The ministerial office of the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills was, in late 2009, amalgamated into the new ministerial office of the resurgent politician Peter Mandelson, made a peer and given the title Lord 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.^[8]

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.^[9]

Vice-President of the Committee of the Council on Education (1857–1902)

Colour key (for political parties):
  Whig  Conservative  Liberal

Vice-President of the Committee			Term of office		Party	Prime Minister
		William Cowper	5 February 1857	21 February 1858	Whig		Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
		Charles Adderley	12 March 1858	11 June 1859	Conservative		Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
		Robert Lowe	24 June 1859	26 April 1864 (resigned)	Liberal		Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
		Henry Bruce	26 April 1864	26 June 1866	Liberal
							John Russell, 1st Earl Russell
		Henry Lowry-Corry	26 June 1866	19 March 1867	Conservative		Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
		Lord Robert Montagu	19 March 1867	1 December 1868	Conservative
							Benjamin Disraeli
		William Edward Forster	9 December 1868	17 February 1874	Liberal		William Ewart Gladstone
		Viscount Sandon	2 March 1874	4 April 1878	Conservative		Benjamin Disraeli
		Lord George Hamilton	4 April 1878	21 April 1880	Conservative
		A. J. Mundella	3 May 1880	9 June 1885	Liberal		William Ewart Gladstone
		Edward Stanhope	24 June 1885	17 September 1885	Conservative		Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
		Henry Holland, 1st Viscount Knutsford	17 September 1885	28 January 1886	Conservative
		Lyon Playfair, 1st Baron Playfair	13 February 1886	20 July 1886	Liberal		William Ewart Gladstone
		Henry Holland	3 August 1886	25 January 1887	Conservative		Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
		William Hart Dyke	25 January 1887	11 August 1892	Conservative
		Arthur Dyke Acland	25 August 1892	21 June 1895	Liberal		William Ewart Gladstone
							Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery
		John Eldon Gorst	4 July 1895	8 August 1902	Conservative		Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Unionist Coalition)

President of the Board of Education (1900–1944)

Colour key (for political parties):
  Liberal Unionist  Conservative  Liberal  Labour  National Labour

President of the Board			Term of office		Party	Prime Minister
		Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire (also Lord President of the Council)	3 March 1900[10]	8 August 1902	Liberal Unionist		Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Unionist Coalition)
		Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry (also Lord President of the Council)	11 August 1902	4 December 1905	Conservative		Arthur Balfour (Unionist Coalition)
		Augustine Birrell	10 December 1905	23 January 1907	Liberal		Henry Campbell-Bannerman
		Reginald McKenna	23 January 1907	12 April 1908	Liberal
		Walter Runciman	12 April 1908	23 October 1911	Liberal		H. H. Asquith
		Jack Pease	23 October 1911	25 May 1915	Liberal
		Arthur Henderson	25 May 1915	18 August 1916	Labour		H. H. Asquith (Coalition)
		Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe	18 August 1916	10 December 1916	Liberal
		Herbert Fisher	10 December 1916	19 October 1922	Liberal		David Lloyd George (Coalition)
		Edward Wood	24 October 1922	22 January 1924	Conservative		Bonar Law
							Stanley Baldwin
		Charles Trevelyan	22 January 1924	3 November 1924	Labour		Ramsay MacDonald
		Eustace Percy, 1st Baron Percy of Newcastle	6 November 1924	4 June 1929	Conservative		Stanley Baldwin
		Charles Trevelyan	7 June 1929	2 March 1931 (resigned)	Labour		Ramsay MacDonald
		Hastings Lees-Smith	2 March 1931	24 August 1931	Labour
		Donald Maclean	25 August 1931	15 June 1932 (died in office)	Liberal		Ramsay MacDonald (1st & 2nd National Min.)
		Edward Wood, Lord Irwin (Viscount Halifax from 1934)	15 June 1932	7 June 1935	Conservative
		Oliver Stanley	7 June 1935	28 May 1937	Conservative		Stanley Baldwin (3rd National Min.)
		James Stanhope, 7th Earl Stanhope	28 May 1937	27 October 1938	Conservative		Neville Chamberlain (4th National Min; War Coalition)
		Herbrand Sackville, 9th Earl De La Warr	27 October 1938	3 April 1940	National Labour
		Herwald Ramsbotham	3 April 1940	20 July 1941	Conservative		Winston Churchill (War Coalition)
		R. A. Butler	20 July 1941	10 August 1944	Conservative

Minister of Education (1944–1964)

Colour key (for political parties):
  Conservative  Labour

Minister			Term of office		Party	Prime Minister
		R. A. Butler[11]	10 August 1944	25 May 1945	Conservative		Winston Churchill (War Coalition)
		Richard Law	25 May 1945	26 July 1945	Conservative		Winston Churchill (Caretaker Min.)
		Ellen Wilkinson	3 August 1945	6 February 1947 (died in office)	Labour		Clement Attlee
		George Tomlinson	10 February 1947	26 October 1951	Labour
		Florence Horsbrugh	2 November 1951	18 October 1954	Conservative		Winston Churchill
		David Eccles	18 October 1954	13 January 1957	Conservative
							Anthony Eden
		Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone	13 January 1957	17 September 1957	Conservative		Harold Macmillan
		Geoffrey Lloyd	17 September 1957	14 October 1959	Conservative
		David Eccles	14 October 1959	13 July 1962	Conservative
		Edward Boyle, Baron Boyle of Handsworth	13 July 1962	1 April 1964	Conservative
							Alec Douglas-Home

Secretary of State for Education and Science (1964–1992)

Colour key (for political parties):
  Conservative  Labour

Secretary of State			Term of office		Party	Prime Minister
		Quintin Hogg (formerly Viscount Hailsham)	1 April 1964	16 October 1964	Conservative		Alec Douglas-Home
		Michael Stewart	18 October 1964	22 January 1965	Labour		Harold Wilson
		Anthony Crosland	22 January 1965	29 August 1967	Labour
		Patrick Gordon Walker	29 August 1967	6 April 1968	Labour
		Edward Short	6 April 1968	19 June 1970	Labour
		Margaret Thatcher[12][7]	20 June 1970	4 March 1974	Conservative		Edward Heath
		Reginald Prentice[13]	5 March 1974	9 June 1975	Labour		Harold Wilson
		Fred Mulley[14]	10 June 1975	9 September 1976	Labour
							James Callaghan
		Shirley Williams[15]	10 September 1976	4 May 1979	Labour
		Mark Carlisle	5 May 1979	14 September 1981	Conservative		Margaret Thatcher
		Keith Joseph[16]	14 September 1981	20 May 1986	Conservative
		Kenneth Baker[17]	21 May 1986	23 July 1989	Conservative
		John MacGregor[18]	24 July 1989	1 November 1990	Conservative
		Kenneth Clarke[19]	2 November 1990	9 April 1992	Conservative
							John Major

Secretary of State for Education (1992–1995)

Colour key (for political parties):
  Conservative

Secretary of State			Term of office		Party	Prime Minister
		John Patten[20]	10 April 1992	20 July 1994	Conservative		John Major
		Gillian Shephard[21]	20 July 1994	5 July 1995	Conservative

Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1995–2001)

Colour key (for political parties):
  Conservative  Labour

Secretary of State			Term of office		Party	Prime Minister
		Gillian Shephard[21]	5 July 1995	1 May 1997	Conservative		John Major
		David Blunkett[22]	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[23]	8 June 2001	24 October 2002 (resigned)	Labour		Tony Blair
		Charles Clarke[24]	24 October 2002	15 December 2004	Labour
		Ruth Kelly[25]	15 December 2004	5 May 2006	Labour
		Alan Johnson[26]	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		Portrait	Term of office		Length of term	Political party	Prime Minister
	Ed Balls[27]		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		Portrait	Term of office		Length of term	Political party	Prime Minister
	John Denham[28]		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

Secretary of State			Term of office		Party	Prime Minister
		Michael Gove[29] (tenure)	12 May 2010	15 July 2014	Conservative		David Cameron (Coalition)
		Nicky Morgan[30]	15 July 2014	13 July 2016	Conservative
							David Cameron (II)
		Justine Greening[31]	14 July 2016	8 January 2018	Conservative		Theresa May (I)
							Theresa May (II)
		Damian Hinds[32]	8 January 2018	24 July 2019	Conservative
		Gavin Williamson[33]	24 July 2019	15 September 2021	Conservative		Boris Johnson (I)
							Boris Johnson (II)
		Nadhim Zahawi[34]	15 September 2021	5 July 2022	Conservative
		Michelle Donelan	5 July 2022	7 July 2022	Conservative
		James Cleverly[35]	7 July 2022	6 September 2022	Conservative
		Kit Malthouse[36]	6 September 2022	25 October 2022	Conservative		Liz Truss (Truss ministry)
		Gillian Keegan	25 October 2022	Incumbent	Conservative		Rishi Sunak (Sunak ministry)

* Incumbent's length of term last updated: 1 June 2024.

Timeline of education secretaries

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Secretaries of State for Education of the United Kingdom.

• Department for Education
• Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)