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| Secretary of State for Education and Skills | |
|---|---|
| Post | Secretary of State for Education and Skills |
| Department | Department for Education and Skills |
| Style | The Right Honourable |
| Member of | Cabinet of the United Kingdom |
| Reports to | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom |
| Appointer | Monarch of the United Kingdom |
| Formation | 1995 |
| First | Gillian Shephard |
| Last | Ruth Kelly |
Secretary of State for Education and Skills is a former senior ministerial office in the United Kingdom responsible for overseeing primary, secondary, further, and higher-level institutions such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, London School of Economics, and University of Edinburgh. The office directed agencies including the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills and worked with devolved administrations like the Scottish Government, Welsh Government, and Northern Ireland Executive. It operated within the executive framework alongside ministers from administrations such as the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, Treasury (HM Treasury), and Home Office.
The post was created in 1995 during the premiership of John Major as part of a reorganisation that merged responsibilities previously distributed across portfolios held by figures like Kenneth Baker and John Patten. Its establishment followed policy debates influenced by reports from bodies including the Desmond Commission and inquiries referencing institutions such as the OECD and the European Union. Under subsequent prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, the office was retained and reshaped in response to initiatives championed by politicians such as Gillian Shephard and David Blunkett. In 2001 the office was subsumed into a reconstituted department reflecting a shift advocated by stakeholders like the Confederation of British Industry, the National Union of Teachers, and the Association of Colleges.
The Secretary supervised the Department for Education and Skills, exercising statutory authority derived from Acts of Parliament such as the Education Act 1996 and interacting with regulators including Ofsted and funding bodies like the Higher Education Funding Council for England. Duties encompassed oversight of national curricula implemented by bodies associated with Academies Enterprise Trust, funding frameworks for institutions such as University College London and King's College London, and accountability mechanisms linked to examinations administered by boards like AQA, OCR, and Edexcel. The office coordinated with lawmaking entities including the Privy Council and engaged with international agreements involving the Council of Europe and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Appointment was effected by the Monarch of the United Kingdom on the advice of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, following conventions exemplified in appointments of other senior figures such as the Foreign Secretary (United Kingdom) and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Officeholders normally sat in the House of Commons or the House of Lords and were accountable to parliamentary committees including the Education and Skills Select Committee and the Public Accounts Committee. Tenure varied with electoral cycles determined by contests involving parties like the Labour Party (UK), the Conservative Party (UK), and the Liberal Democrats (UK), and could end through cabinet reshuffles by leaders such as Gordon Brown or through general elections contested against leaders like Tony Blair and John Major.
The Department for Education and Skills comprised directorates mirroring sectors such as early years, school improvement, skills training, and higher education, interacting with agencies including the Learning and Skills Council and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. The departmental apparatus worked with public bodies such as the Student Loans Company and regional partners like Skills Development Scotland and the Welsh Assembly Government equivalents. Its internal hierarchy included permanent civil servants drawn from the Home Civil Service and ministerial teams involving junior ministers and parliamentary under-secretaries who liaised with stakeholders such as the Confederation of British Industry, the British Chambers of Commerce, and trade unions like the National Union of Teachers.
Prominent holders included Gillian Shephard, who first assumed the post after its creation; David Blunkett, noted for reforms implemented during the Labour Party (UK) administration; Estelle Morris, whose tenure intersected with debates involving the National Union of Teachers and the Teaching and Development Agency; and Ruth Kelly, under whom higher education policy engaged institutions such as Oxford University and funding councils like the Higher Education Funding Council for England. Other associated figures from adjacent portfolios included Kenneth Baker, John Patten, and Alan Johnson, who shaped preceding and subsequent policy environments.
Initiatives overseen by the office included expansion of specialist and city academies promoted by sponsors such as City of London Corporation and trusts like United Learning, reforms to vocational training influenced by the Learning and Skills Council, and higher education funding debates involving the Russell Group and the Universities UK. The office steered curriculum changes informed by research from institutions such as the Institute of Education, University College London and assessment reforms involving examining bodies AQA and OCR. International collaboration featured projects with the UNESCO and comparative studies drawing on reports from the OECD and the British Council.
The office faced criticism over policy decisions contested by groups including the National Union of Teachers, the University and College Union, and pressure from campaigners such as Parentkind. Controversies involved disputes over funding allocations challenged in debates in the House of Commons and legal actions brought under statutes influenced by the Human Rights Act 1998. Issues such as academy conversions, student finance reforms, and inspection regimes attracted scrutiny from media outlets like the BBC and commentators associated with think tanks such as the Institute for Public Policy Research and the Policy Exchange.
Category:Defunct ministerial offices in the United Kingdom Category:Education in the United Kingdom