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| Department overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 8 June 2001 |
| Preceding Department | |
| Dissolved | 28 June 2007 |
| Superseding Department | |
| Jurisdiction | England |
| Headquarters | London, England, UK |
TheDepartment for Education and Skills (DfES) was aUnited Kingdom government department between 2001 and 2007, responsible for theeducation system (including higher education andadult learning) as well as children's services inEngland.
The department was led bySecretary of State for Education and Skills.
The DfES had offices at four main locations:London (both at the Sanctuary Buildings and Caxton House),Sheffield (Moorfoot),Darlington (Mowden Hall), andRuncorn (Castle View House). The DfES was also represented inregional Government Offices.
The DfES had jurisdiction only in England as education was the responsibility of theScottish Government,Welsh Assembly Government and theNorthern Ireland Assembly.
On 28 June 2007, the DfES was split up into theDepartment for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and theDepartment for Innovation, Universities and Skills. The DCSF was later reorganised as theDepartment for Education in 2010.
TheDepartment of Education and Science was created in 1964 with the merger of the offices ofMinister of Education and the Minister of Science, withQuintin Hogg as minister.Shirley Williams MP was Minister for Education and Science from August 1967 to October 1969.
In 1992, the responsibility forscience was transferred to theCabinet Office's Office of Public Service and theDepartment of Trade and Industry'sOffice of Science and Technology, and the department was renamedDepartment for Education.
In 1995, in the reshuffle after theConservative leadership election of that year, the department merged with theDepartment of Employment to become theDepartment for Education and Employment (DfEE).
After the2001 general election, the employment functions were transferred to the newDepartment for Work and Pensions, with the DfEE becoming theDepartment for Education and Skills (DfES).
In 2007, the responsibilities for adult education,further education, andhigher education were transferred to the new Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. The remainder of the education system moved to the DCSF.
Colour key (for political parties):
Labour
| Secretary of State | Term of office | Party | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.png) | Estelle Morris[1] | 8 June 2001 | 24 October 2002 (resigned) | Labour | Tony Blair | ||
.jpg) | Charles Clarke[2] | 24 October 2002 | 15 December 2004 | Labour | |||
 | Ruth Kelly[3] | 15 December 2004 | 5 May 2006 | Labour | |||
 | Alan Johnson[4] | 5 May 2006 | 28 June 2007 | Labour | |||
The permanent secretary of a UK Department is the senior civil servant. While working under the direction of the political ministers (normally members of the relevant government in the UK, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland), the PS (and other senior civil servants, especially the Finance Director) has many traditional and statutory responsibilities that are aimed at ensuring that government departments are, as far as possible, run in the public interest.