Department for Education and Skills
Encyclopedia
The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) was a United Kingdom government department between 2001 and 2007. It was responsible for the education system
and children's services in England
. On 28 June 2007 the department was split in two by Gordon Brown
's government. The Department for Children, Schools and Families
and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
took over its responsibilities. In 2010, when the Conservative/Lib Dem Coalition Government took control, Michael Gove
became Secretary of State for Education. His department is the Department for Education
.
DfES worked under the Secretary of State for Education and Skills
. The main remit of the Department could be summed up as schools and adult learning - but there were also sections dealing with linked areas such as child welfare
.
DfES civil servants worked in either one of four locations: London
(Sanctuary Buildings or Caxton House, both close to Westminster Abbey
), Sheffield
(Moorfoot), Darlington
(Mowden Hall), or Runcorn
(Castle View House) - as well as in the regional Government Offices.
Education is a devolved issue and therefore the responsibility of other government departments in Scotland
, Wales
and Northern Ireland
.
and the Minister of Science, with Quintin Hogg
as minister.
In 1992 the responsibility for science
was transferred to the Cabinet Office
's Office of Public Service and the Department of Trade and Industry's Office of Science and Technology
, and the department was renamed Department for Education.
In 1995, in the reshuffle after the Conservative leadership election
of that year, the department merged with the Department of Employment
to become the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE).
After the 2001 general election
, 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).
During new Prime Minister Gordon Brown
's Cabinet reshuffle, two new government departments were created to take over the work of the DfES, the Department for Children, Schools and Families
and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
. The latter also took over some of the work of the former Department of Trade and Industry (now the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
).
Permanent Secretaries
in the Department for Education and Skills:
Education in England
Education in England is overseen by the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Local authorities take responsibility for implementing policy for public education and state schools at a regional level....
and children's services in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. On 28 June 2007 the department was split in two by Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
's government. The Department for Children, Schools and Families
Department for Children, Schools and Families
The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was a UK government department created on 28 June 2007 to take over some of the functions of the Department of Education and Skills and of the Department of Trade and Industry. In June 2009 it was merged into the newly formed Department for...
took over its responsibilities. In 2010, when the Conservative/Lib Dem Coalition Government took control, Michael Gove
Michael Gove
Michael Andrew Gove, MP is a British politician, who currently serves as the Secretary of State for Education and as the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Surrey Heath constituency. He is also a published author and former journalist.Born in Edinburgh, Gove was raised in Aberdeen...
became Secretary of State for Education. His department is the Department for Education
Department for Education
The Department for Education is a department of the UK government responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education....
.
DfES worked under the Secretary of State for Education and Skills
Secretary of State for Education and Skills
The Secretary of State for Education is the chief minister of the Department for Education in the United Kingdom government. The position was re-established on 12 May 2010, held by Michael Gove....
. The main remit of the Department could be summed up as schools and adult learning - but there were also sections dealing with linked areas such as child welfare
Child welfare
Child protection is used to describe a set of usually government-run services designed to protect children and young people who are underage and to encourage family stability...
.
DfES civil servants worked in either one of four locations: London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(Sanctuary Buildings or Caxton House, both close to Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
), Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
(Moorfoot), Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
(Mowden Hall), or Runcorn
Runcorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...
(Castle View House) - as well as in the regional Government Offices.
Education is a devolved issue and therefore the responsibility of other government departments in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
- Scotland - Education and Lifelong Learning Directorate
- Wales - Department for Education, Lifelong Learning, and Skills (DELLS)
- Northern Ireland - Department of Education (Northern Ireland)Department of Education (Northern Ireland)The Department of Education is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
and Department for Employment and LearningDepartment for Employment and LearningThe Department for Employment and Learning , formerly the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment , is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
History
The Department of Education and Science was created in 1964 with the merger of the offices of Minister of EducationMinistry of Education (United Kingdom)
The administration of education policy in the United Kingdom began in the 19th century. Official mandation of education began with the Elementary Education Act 1870 for England and Wales, and the Education Act 1872 for Scotland...
and the Minister of Science, with Quintin Hogg
Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone
For the businessman and philanthropist, see Quintin Hogg Quintin McGarel Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone, KG, CH, PC, QC, FRS , formerly 2nd Viscount Hailsham , was a British politician who was known for the longevity of his career, the vigour with which he campaigned for the Conservative...
as minister.
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
was transferred to the Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
's Office of Public Service and the Department of Trade and Industry's Office of Science and Technology
Office of Science and Technology
The Office of Science and Technology , later named the Office of Science and Innovation, was a non-ministerial government department of the British government between 1992 and 2007....
, and the department was renamed Department for Education.
In 1995, in the reshuffle after the Conservative leadership election
Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 1995
The 1995 Conservative leadership election was initiated when incumbent leader and Prime Minister John Major resigned as leader on 22 June 1995, in order to face down critics within his party...
of that year, the department merged with the Department of Employment
Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...
to become the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE).
After the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
, the employment functions were transferred to a newly created Department for Work and Pensions
Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...
, with the DfEE becoming the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).
During new Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
's Cabinet reshuffle, two new government departments were created to take over the work of the DfES, the Department for Children, Schools and Families
Department for Children, Schools and Families
The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was a UK government department created on 28 June 2007 to take over some of the functions of the Department of Education and Skills and of the Department of Trade and Industry. In June 2009 it was merged into the newly formed Department for...
. The latter also took over some of the work of the former Department of Trade and Industry (now the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is a ministerial department of the United Kingdom Government created on 5 June 2009 by the merger of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform .-Ministers:The BIS...
).
Ministers
Ministers in the Department for Education and Skills from 5 May 2006 until the department's split on 28 June 2007:- Secretary of State for Education and SkillsSecretary of State for Education and SkillsThe Secretary of State for Education is the chief minister of the Department for Education in the United Kingdom government. The position was re-established on 12 May 2010, held by Michael Gove....
- The Rt Hon. Alan JohnsonAlan JohnsonAlan Arthur Johnson is a British Labour Party politician who served as Home Secretary from June 2009 to May 2010. Before that, he filled a wide variety of cabinet positions in both the Blair and Brown governments, including Health Secretary and Education Secretary. Until 20 January 2011 he was...
MP - Ministers of StateMinister of StateMinister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
:- ... for Schools - Jim KnightJim KnightJames Philip Knight, Baron Knight of Weymouth is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for South Dorset from 2001 until 2010, when he lost his seat. Knight held several ministerial posts during his time as an MP including Minister for the South West and Minister for...
MP - ... for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education - Bill RammellBill RammellWilliam Ernest Rammell is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Harlow from 1997 to 2010, and has served as the Minister of State for the Armed Forces at the Ministry of Defence...
MP - ... for Children, Young People and Families - Beverley HughesBeverley HughesBeverley June Hughes, Baroness Hughes of Stretford is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Stretford and Urmston from 1997 to 2010. In 2004, she was appointed to the Privy Council...
MP
- ... for Schools - Jim Knight
- Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of StateParliamentary Under-Secretary of StateA Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
- ... for Schools - Lord Adonis
- ... Skills and Vocational Education - Phil HopePhil HopePhilip Ian "Phil" Hope is a British Labour Co-operative politician who was the Member of Parliament for Corby from 1997 until 2010, when he lost his seat to the Conservatives. He held several ministerial roles during his time as an MP. Since his defeat, he is working as a consultant for Age...
MP - ... Children - Parmjit DhandaParmjit DhandaParmjit Singh Dhanda is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Gloucester from 2001 to 2010, succeeding Tess Kingham as the Labour MP for the seat...
MP
Permanent Secretary
The permanent secretary of a UK Department is the senior civil servant. While working under the direction of the political ministers (almost exclusively members of the UK's current governing political party), the SoS (and other senior civil servants, especially the Finance Director) has many traditional and statutory responsibilities which are aimed at ensuring that government departments are, as far as possible, run in the public interest, rather than party-political ones.Permanent Secretaries
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
in the Department for Education and Skills:
- David BellDavid Bell (British civil servant)Sir David Robert Bell KCB is Permanent Secretary at the British Department for Education. He took up his post on 3 January 2006. He was previously Chief Inspector of Schools at the Office for Standards in Education...
: Jan 2006 - June 2007 (DfES now PS of DCSF) - Sir David NormingtonDavid NormingtonSir David John Normington is the First Civil Service Commissioner and Commissioner for Public Appointments for the British government. He previously served in the British Civil Service as the Permanent Secretary of Department for Education and Skills from 2001 to 2005, and then the Home Office...
: May 2001 - Dec 2005 (Department for Education and Employment / DfES) - Sir Michael Bichard: July 1995 - May 2001 (DfEE)
- Sir Timothy Patrick Lankester: Feb 1994 - July 1995 (Department for Education / DfEE)
- Sir Geoffrey Holland: Jan 1993 - Jan 1994 (DfE)
- Sir John Caines: July 1989 - Jan 1993 (Department of Education and Science / DfE)
- Sir David Hancock: May 1983 - June 1989 (DES)
- Sir James Hamilton: May 1976 - May 1983 (DES)
- Sir William Pile: Aug 1970 - May 1976 (DES)
See also
- British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta)
- Learning and Skills CouncilLearning and Skills CouncilThe Learning and Skills Council was a non-departmental public body jointly sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families in England...
(LSC) - United Kingdom budgetUnited Kingdom budgetThe United Kingdom budget deals with HM Treasury budgeting the revenues gathered by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and expenditures of public sector departments, in compliance with government policy.Adjustment is achieved with the GDP deflator....
External links
- Official Archived Website
- Science Learning Centres website The national network of Science Learning Centres provides Continuing Professional Development for everyone involved in science education. The network is a joint initiative by the Department for Education and Skills and the Wellcome Trust.