# Secretary for Education

The Secretary for Education is a principal official in the Hong Kong Government, who heads the Education Bureau (EDB). The current office holder is Christine Choi.

## History

The position of Secretary for Education and Manpower was set up in 1983 when the old Education Department was restructured into the Education and Manpower Branch and Education Department, and the old position of Director of Education was split into SEM and Director of Education accordingly, with the latter reporting to the former.
Since the Principal Officials Accountability System (POAS) was introduced in 2002, the SEM, as all other secretary positions, is an ex officio member of the Executive Council (ExCo). The position is a political appointment, and its term expires when the Chief Executive leaves office.
Before the introduction of the POAS in July 2002, the SEM, as well as all other secretary-level positions, was a civil service position. The office holder was not a member of the ExCo. Before 1991, the office holders may be appointed by the Governor as ex officio member of the Legislative Council.
At the same time when the POAS was introduced in 2002, the responsibility of labour issues was transferred to the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, formerly Secretary for Economic Services.
According to the proposal tabled by Donald Tsang's administration after he was re-elected as the Chief Executive, the manpower portfolio was transferred to the new Secretary for Labour and Welfare on 1 July 2007. The position of SEM was renamed Secretary for Education.

## List of office holders

Political party: Nonpartisan

### Inspectors of Schools, 1862–1909

| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Governor |
| 1 | Frederick Stewart 史釗域 | 3 March 1862 | 6 March 1878 | Sir Hercules Robinson |
| 1 | Frederick Stewart 史釗域 | 3 March 1862 | 6 March 1878 | Sir Richard MacDonnell (1866–1872) |
| 1 | Frederick Stewart 史釗域 | 3 March 1862 | 6 March 1878 | Sir Arthur Kennedy (1872–1877) |
| 1 | Frederick Stewart 史釗域 | 3 March 1862 | 6 March 1878 | Sir John Hennessy (1877–1882) |
| 2 | Ernest John Eitel 歐德理 | 7 March 1878 | 1897 | Sir John Hennessy (1877–1882) |
| 2 | Ernest John Eitel 歐德理 | 7 March 1878 | 1897 | Sir George Bowen (1883–1885) |
| 2 | Ernest John Eitel 歐德理 | 7 March 1878 | 1897 | Sir William Des Voeux (1887–1891) |
| 2 | Ernest John Eitel 歐德理 | 7 March 1878 | 1897 | Sir William Robinson (1891–1898) |
| 3 | Arthur Winbolt Brewin 蒲魯賢 | 15 August 1897 | 1901 | Sir William Robinson (1891–1898) |
| 3 | Arthur Winbolt Brewin 蒲魯賢 | 15 August 1897 | 1901 | Sir Henry Blake (1898–1903) |
| 4 | Edward Alexander Irving 伊榮 | 24 April 1901 | 7 April 1909 | Sir Henry Blake (1898–1903) |
| 4 | Edward Alexander Irving 伊榮 | 24 April 1901 | 7 April 1909 | Sir Matthew Nathan (1903–1907) |
| 4 | Edward Alexander Irving 伊榮 | 24 April 1901 | 7 April 1909 | Sir Frederick Lugard (1907–1912) |

### Directors of Education, 1909–1941

| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Governor |
| 1 | Edward Alexander Irving 伊榮 | 8 April 1909 | 7 February 1924 | Sir Frederick Lugard (1907–1912) |
| 1 | Edward Alexander Irving 伊榮 | 8 April 1909 | 7 February 1924 | Sir Francis Henry May (1912–1918) |
| 1 | Edward Alexander Irving 伊榮 | 8 April 1909 | 7 February 1924 | Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs (1919–1925) |
| 2 | Geoffrey Norman Orme 庵氏 | 1924 | 1926 | Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs (1919–1925) |
| 2 | Geoffrey Norman Orme 庵氏 | 1924 | 1926 | Sir Cecil Clementi (1925–1930) |
| 3 | Alan Eustace Wood 活雅倫 | 1926 | 1933 | Sir Cecil Clementi (1925–1930) |
| 3 | Alan Eustace Wood 活雅倫 | 1926 | 1933 | Sir William Peel (1930–1935) |
| 4 | Norman Lockhart Smith 史美 | 1933 | 1934 | Sir William Peel (1930–1935) |
| 5 | Geoffrey Robley Sayer 佘義 | 1934 | 1938 | Sir William Peel (1930–1935) |
| 5 | Geoffrey Robley Sayer 佘義 | 1934 | 1938 | Sir Andrew Caldecott (1935–1937) |
| 5 | Geoffrey Robley Sayer 佘義 | 1934 | 1938 | Sir Geoffry Northcote (1937–1941) |
| 6 | Clifford George Sollis 梳利士 | 1938 | 1941 | Sir Geoffry Northcote (1937–1941) |
| 6 | Clifford George Sollis 梳利士 | 1938 | 1941 | Mark Aitchison Young (1941) |

### Directors of Education, 1946–1983

| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Governor |
| 7 | Thomas Richmond Rowell 柳惠露 | 1946 | 1950 | Sir Mark Aitchison Young (1946–1947) |
| 7 | Thomas Richmond Rowell 柳惠露 | 1946 | 1950 | Sir Alexander Grantham (1947–1957) |
| 8 | Douglas James Smyth Crozier 高詩雅 | 1950 | 28 April 1961 | Sir Alexander Grantham (1947–1957) |
| 8 | Douglas James Smyth Crozier 高詩雅 | 1950 | 28 April 1961 | Sir Robert Brown Black (1958–1964) |
| 9 | Peter Donohue 唐露曉 | 29 April 1961 | 20 February 1964 | Sir Robert Brown Black (1958–1964) |
| 10 | William David Gregg 簡乃傑 | 21 February 1964 | 5 June 1969 | Sir David Trench (1964–1971) |
| 11 | John Canning 簡寧 | 6 June 1969 | 1974 | Sir David Trench (1964–1971) |
| 11 | John Canning 簡寧 | 6 June 1969 | 1974 | Sir Murray MacLehose (1971–1982) |
| 12 | Kenneth Wallis Joseph Topley 陶建 | 1974 | 1983 | Sir Murray MacLehose (1971–1982) |

### Secretaries for Education and Manpower, 1983–1997

| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Governor |
| 1 | James Neil Henderson 韓達誠 | 1983 | 25 August 1986 | Sir Edward Youde (1982–1986) |
| 2 | R. G. B. Bridge 布立之 | 26 August 1986 | 1989 | Sir David Wilson (1987–1992) |
| 3 | Yeung Kai-yin 楊啟彥 | 1989 | 1991 | Sir David Wilson (1987–1992) |
| 4 | John Chan 陳祖澤 | 1991 | 1993 | Sir David Wilson (1987–1992) |
| 4 | John Chan 陳祖澤 | 1991 | 1993 | Chris Patten (1992–1997) |
| 5 | Leung Man-kin 梁文建 | 1993 | 1995 | Chris Patten (1992–1997) |
| 6 | Joseph Wong 王永平 | August 1995 | 30 June 1997 | Chris Patten (1992–1997) |

### Secretaries for Education and Manpower, 1997–2007

| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Duration | Chief Executive | Term |
| 1 | Joseph Wong Wing-ping 王永平 | 1 July 1997 | 3 July 2000 | 3 years, 2 days | Tung Chee-hwa (1997–2005) | 1 |
| 2 | Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun 羅范椒芬 | 3 July 2000 | 3 June 2002 | 1 year, 362 days | Tung Chee-hwa (1997–2005) | 1 |
| 3 | Arthur Li Kwok-cheung 李國章 | 1 July 2002 | 30 June 2007 | 5 years, 0 days | Tung Chee-hwa (1997–2005) | 2 |
| 3 | Arthur Li Kwok-cheung 李國章 | 1 July 2002 | 30 June 2007 | 5 years, 0 days | Donald Tsang (2005–2012) | 2 |

### Secretaries for Education, 2007–present

| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Duration | Chief Executive | Term |
| 1 | Michael Suen Ming-yeung 孫明揚 | 1 July 2007 | 30 June 2012 | 5 years, 0 days | Donald Tsang (2005–2012) | 3 |
| 2 | Eddie Ng Hak-kim 吳克儉 | 1 July 2012 | 30 June 2017 | 5 years, 0 days | Leung Chun-ying (2012–2017) | 4 |
| 3 | Kevin Yeung Yun-hung 楊潤雄 | 1 July 2017 | 30 June 2022 | 5 years, 0 days | Carrie Lam (2017–present) | 5 |
| 4 | Christine Choi Yuk-lin 蔡若蓮 | 1 July 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 218 days | John Lee (2022–present) | 6 |