# Secretary of State for Education

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. 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. Therefore, the Cabinet Secretary for Education legislates on education matters only in England.
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.
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

## History

A committee of the Privy Council was appointed in 1839 to supervise the distribution of certain government grants in the education field. 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.
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.
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.

## List of office holders
### 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | Benjamin Disraeli |
| 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 | Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury |
| 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 | Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury |
| Arthur Dyke Acland | 25 August 1892 | 21 June 1895 | Liberal | William Ewart Gladstone |
| Arthur Dyke Acland | 25 August 1892 | 21 June 1895 | Liberal | 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 | Term of office | Party | Prime Minister |
| Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire (also Lord President of the Council) | 3 March 1900 | 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 | Henry Campbell-Bannerman |
| Walter Runciman | 12 April 1908 | 23 October 1911 | Liberal | H. H. Asquith |
| Jack Pease | 23 October 1911 | 25 May 1915 | Liberal | H. H. Asquith |
| 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 | H. H. Asquith (Coalition) |
| Herbert Fisher | 10 December 1916 | 19 October 1922 | Liberal | David Lloyd George (Coalition) |
| Edward Wood | 24 October 1922 | 22 January 1924 | Conservative | Bonar Law |
| Edward Wood | 24 October 1922 | 22 January 1924 | Conservative | 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 | Ramsay MacDonald |
| 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 | Ramsay MacDonald (1st & 2nd National Min.) |
| 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 | Neville Chamberlain (4th National Min; War Coalition) |
| Herwald Ramsbotham | 3 April 1940 | 20 July 1941 | Conservative | Winston Churchill (War Coalition) |
| R. A. Butler | 20 July 1941 | 10 August 1944 | Conservative | Winston Churchill (War Coalition) |

### Minister of Education (1944–1964)

Colour key (for political parties):  Conservative  Labour
| Minister | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Prime Minister |
| R. A. Butler | 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 | Clement Attlee |
| Florence Horsbrugh | 2 November 1951 | 18 October 1954 | Conservative | Winston Churchill |
| David Eccles | 18 October 1954 | 13 January 1957 | 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 | Harold Macmillan |
| David Eccles | 14 October 1959 | 13 July 1962 | Conservative | Harold Macmillan |
| Edward Boyle, Baron Boyle of Handsworth | 13 July 1962 | 1 April 1964 | Conservative | Harold Macmillan |
| 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 | 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 | Harold Wilson |
| Patrick Gordon Walker | 29 August 1967 | 6 April 1968 | Labour | Harold Wilson |
| Edward Short | 6 April 1968 | 19 June 1970 | Labour | Harold Wilson |
| Margaret Thatcher | 20 June 1970 | 4 March 1974 | Conservative | Edward Heath |
| Reginald Prentice | 5 March 1974 | 9 June 1975 | Labour | Harold Wilson |
| Fred Mulley | 10 June 1975 | 9 September 1976 | Labour | Harold Wilson |
| Fred Mulley | 10 June 1975 | 9 September 1976 | Labour | James Callaghan |
| Shirley Williams | 10 September 1976 | 4 May 1979 | Labour | James Callaghan |
| Mark Carlisle | 5 May 1979 | 14 September 1981 | Conservative | Margaret Thatcher |
| Keith Joseph | 14 September 1981 | 20 May 1986 | Conservative | Margaret Thatcher |
| Kenneth Baker | 21 May 1986 | 23 July 1989 | Conservative | Margaret Thatcher |
| John MacGregor | 24 July 1989 | 1 November 1990 | Conservative | Margaret Thatcher |
| Kenneth Clarke | 2 November 1990 | 9 April 1992 | Conservative | Margaret Thatcher |
| Kenneth Clarke | 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 | Secretary of State | Secretary of State | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| | | John Patten | 10 April 1992 | 20 July 1994 | Conservative | | John Major |
| | | Gillian Shephard | 20 July 1994 | 5 July 1995 | Conservative | | John Major |

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

Colour key (for political parties):  Conservative  Labour
| Secretary of State | Secretary of State | Secretary of State | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| | | Gillian Shephard | 5 July 1995 | 1 May 1997 | Conservative | | John Major |
| | | David Blunkett | 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 | Term of office | Party | Prime Minister |
| Estelle Morris | 8 June 2001 | 24 October 2002 (resigned) | Labour | Tony Blair |
| Charles Clarke | 24 October 2002 | 15 December 2004 | Labour | Tony Blair |
| Ruth Kelly | 15 December 2004 | 5 May 2006 | Labour | Tony Blair |
| Alan Johnson | 5 May 2006 | 28 June 2007 | Labour | Tony Blair |

### 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 | Name | Portrait | Term of office | Term of office | Length of term | Political party | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| | Ed Balls | | 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 | Name | Portrait | Term of office | Term of office | Length of term | Political party | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| | John Denham | | 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 | Term of office | Length of term | Party | Prime Minister |
| Michael Gove (tenure) | 12 May 2010 | 15 July 2014 | 4 years, 2 months and 3 days | Conservative | David Cameron (Coalition) |
| Nicky Morgan | 15 July 2014 | 13 July 2016 | 1 year, 11 months and 28 days | Conservative | David Cameron (Coalition) |
| Nicky Morgan | 15 July 2014 | 13 July 2016 | 1 year, 11 months and 28 days | Conservative | David Cameron (II) |
| Justine Greening | 14 July 2016 | 8 January 2018 | 1 year, 5 months and 25 days | Conservative | Theresa May (I) |
| Justine Greening | 14 July 2016 | 8 January 2018 | 1 year, 5 months and 25 days | Conservative | Theresa May (II) |
| Damian Hinds | 8 January 2018 | 24 July 2019 | 1 year, 6 months and 16 days | Conservative | Theresa May (II) |
| Gavin Williamson | 24 July 2019 | 15 September 2021 | 2 years, 1 month and 22 days | Conservative | Boris Johnson (I) |
| Gavin Williamson | 24 July 2019 | 15 September 2021 | 2 years, 1 month and 22 days | Conservative | Boris Johnson (II) |
| Nadhim Zahawi | 15 September 2021 | 5 July 2022 | 9 months and 20 days | Conservative | Boris Johnson (II) |
| Michelle Donelan | 5 July 2022 | 7 July 2022 | 35 hours | Conservative | Boris Johnson (II) |
| James Cleverly | 7 July 2022 | 6 September 2022 | 1 month and 30 days | Conservative | Boris Johnson (II) |
| Kit Malthouse | 6 September 2022 | 25 October 2022 | 1 month and 19 days | Conservative | Liz Truss (Truss ministry) |
| Gillian Keegan | 25 October 2022 | 5 July 2024 | 1 year, 8 months and 10 days | Conservative | Rishi Sunak (Sunak ministry) |
| Bridget Phillipson | 5 July 2024 | Incumbent | 8 months and 10 days | Labour | Keir Starmer (I) |
* Incumbent's length of term last updated: 15 March 2025.