Secretary of State for Education | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Secretary of State for Education | Vacant |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Education | Vacant |
| Department | Department for Education |
| Reports to | The Prime Minister |
| Member of | Cabinet |
| Appointed by | The Sovereign, on the advice of the Prime Minister |
| Seat | Sanctuary Buildings, 20 Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BT |
| Shadowed by | Shadow Secretary of State for Education |
The Secretary of State for Education is the minister in charge of the Department for Education, responsible for schools, colleges, apprenticeships, universities and children's services. The office holder is a member of the Cabinet and is appointed by The Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister.
History
The Education Secretary sets the national curriculum, funds schools and colleges, and decides how exams, teacher training and student finance work. The post is one of the largest spending roles in government, and its policies reach almost every family in the country.
Role
The Secretary of State for Education leads the Department for Education. They decide the department's policy within the government's programme, defend its budget, answer questions about it in the House of Commons, and bring forward the bills it needs through Parliament. Like every Cabinet minister, they are bound by collective responsibility: once the Cabinet has decided something, all its members must support it in public or resign.
On the UKOGB website the Secretary of State for Education is the head of the department. They can edit its page, choose who works there and post its announcements, and they get the Cabinet and HM Government roles in the Discord server.
Opposition counterpart
The Shadow Cabinet includes a Shadow Secretary of State for Education, chosen by the Leader of the Opposition. The shadow minister questions the Secretary of State for Education in the Commons, responds to the department's announcements and sets out what the Opposition would do instead.
See also
This page was last edited on 3 November 2026.