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, only 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.
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 Lucy Powell.
Contents
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 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.
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.
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 for Education and Employment (1995–2001)
Colour key (for political parties):
Conservative
Labour
Secretary of State for Education and Skills (2001–2007)
Responsibility for Employment moved to the newly formed Department for Work and Pensions.
Colour key (for political parties):
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.
Colour key (for political parties):
Labour Co-op
The only Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills was John Denham MP. In a foreword to the department's White Paper, Innovation Nation, published in March 2008, Denham outlined the importance of innovation as a national commitment:We want innovation to flourish across every area of the economy, and in particular wherever high value added business can flourish and grow. We must innovate in our public services too. Innovation is as important to the delivery of healthcare and education as it is to industries such as manufacturing, retail and the creative economy.
Colour key (for political parties):
Labour
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: 15 September 2026.