Shadow Secretary of State for Education

The shadow secretary of state for education, also called the shadow education secretary, is an office in the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet responsible for Opposition policy on education and for holding the secretary of state for education, junior education ministers, and the Department for Education to account.

List of shadow secretaries of state
{| class="wikitable" ! colspan=7|

Shadow Secretaries of State for Education and Science
! colspan=3|Shadow Secretary ! Took office ! Left office ! Political party ! Shadow Cabinet ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | !style="background-color: ; border-bottom:solid 1px " height=30 | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! colspan=7|
 * Roy Hattersley
 * Roy Hattersley 2012 cropped 2.jpg
 * 4 May 1973
 * 5 March 1974
 * Labour
 * Wilson II
 * Norman St John-Stevas
 * 28 February 1974
 * 6 November 1978
 * rowspan="2" | Conservative
 * rowspan=2 | Thatcher
 * rowspan=2 | Thatcher
 * Mark Carlisle
 * 6 November 1978
 * 4 May 1979
 * 4 May 1979
 * Gordon Oakes
 * 4 May 1979
 * 14 July 1979
 * rowspan="5" | Labour
 * rowspan=2 |Callaghan
 * rowspan=2 |Callaghan
 * rowspan=2 | Neil Kinnock
 * rowspan=2 | [[File:Start campagne voor Europese verkiezingen van PvdA (Rotterdam) Neal Kinnoch, k, Bestanddeelnr 932-9811.jpg|60px]]
 * rowspan=2 | 14 July 1979
 * rowspan=2 | 2 October 1983
 * Foot
 * Giles Radice
 * Official portrait of Lord Radice crop 2.jpg
 * 2 October 1983
 * 13 July 1987
 * rowspan=2 | Kinnock
 * Jack Straw
 * Jack Straw 2.jpg
 * 13 July 1987
 * 18 July 1992

Shadow Secretaries of State for Education
! colspan=3|Shadow Secretary ! Took office ! Left office ! Political party ! Shadow Cabinet ! rowspan=2 style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! colspan=7|
 * rowspan=2 | Ann Taylor
 * rowspan=2 | Official portrait of Baroness Taylor of Bolton crop 2.jpg
 * rowspan=2 | 18 July 1992
 * rowspan=2 | 20 October 1994
 * rowspan="3" | Labour
 * Smith
 * Beckett
 * Beckett
 * David Blunkett
 * Official portrait of Lord Blunkett crop 2.jpg
 * 20 October 1994
 * 19 October 1995
 * Blair

Shadow Secretaries of State for Education and Employment
! colspan=3|Shadow Secretary ! Took office ! Left office ! Political Party ! Shadow Cabinet ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! colspan=7|
 * David Blunkett
 * Official portrait of Lord Blunkett crop 2.jpg
 * 19 October 1995
 * 2 May 1997
 * Labour
 * Blair
 * Gillian Shephard
 * Official portrait of Baroness Shephard of Northwold crop 2.jpg
 * 2 May 1997
 * 11 June 1997
 * rowspan="4" | Conservative
 * Major
 * Stephen Dorrell
 * [[File:Stephen dorrell mp -nhs confederation annual conferencepercent2c manchester-11july2011 - crop.jpg|60px]]
 * 11 June 1997
 * 15 June 1998
 * rowspan=3 | Hague
 * David Willetts
 * Official portrait of Lord Willetts crop 2.jpg
 * 1 June 1998
 * 15 June 1999
 * Theresa May
 * Theresa May - Home Secretary and minister for women and equality.jpg
 * 15 June 1999
 * 18 September 2001

Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills
! colspan=3|Shadow Secretary ! Took office ! Left office ! Political party ! Shadow Cabinet ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! colspan=7|
 * Damian Green
 * Official portrait of Rt Hon Damian Green MP crop 2.jpg
 * 18 September 2001
 * 11 November 2003
 * rowspan="5" | Conservative
 * Duncan Smith
 * Tim Yeo
 * From left to right Oliver Morton, David Odling and Tim Yeo MP.jpg
 * 11 November 2003
 * 14 July 2004
 * rowspan=3 | Howard
 * Tim Collins
 * 14 July 2004
 * 5 May 2005
 * 5 May 2005
 * David Cameron
 * David Cameron official.jpg
 * 10 May 2005
 * 6 December 2005
 * David Willetts
 * Official portrait of Lord Willetts crop 2.jpg
 * 8 December 2005
 * 3 July 2007
 * Cameron

Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
! colspan=3|Shadow Secretary ! Took office ! Left office ! Political party ! Shadow Cabinet ! style="background-color: " | ! colspan=7|
 * Michael Gove
 * Official portrait of Rt Hon Michael Gove MP crop 2.jpg
 * 3 July 2007
 * 6 May 2010
 * Conservative
 * Cameron

Shadow Secretaries of State for Education
! colspan=3|Shadow Secretary ! Took office ! Left office ! Political party ! Shadow Cabinet ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! rowspan=2 style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " | ! style="background-color: " |
 * Ed Balls
 * Ed Balls 2.jpg
 * 12 May 2010
 * 8 October 2010
 * rowspan="11" | Labour
 * Harman I
 * Andy Burnham
 * Andy Burnham2.jpg
 * 8 October 2010
 * 7 October 2011
 * rowspan=3 | Miliband
 * Stephen Twigg
 * Official portrait of Stephen Twigg crop 2.jpg
 * 7 October 2011
 * 7 October 2013
 * rowspan=2 | Tristram Hunt
 * rowspan=2 | Tristram Cropped.jpg
 * rowspan=2 | 7 October 2013
 * rowspan=2 | 14 September 2015
 * Harman II
 * Harman II
 * Lucy Powell
 * Official portrait of Lucy Powell MP crop 2.jpg
 * 14 September 2015
 * 26 June 2016
 * rowspan=3 | Corbyn
 * Pat Glass
 * Pat Glass.jpg
 * 27 June 2016
 * 29 June 2016
 * Angela Rayner
 * Official portrait of Angela Rayner MP crop 2.jpg
 * 1 July 2016
 * 5 April 2020
 * Rebecca Long-Bailey
 * Official portrait of Rebecca Long Bailey crop 2.jpg
 * 6 April 2020
 * 25 June 2020
 * rowspan="3" |Starmer
 * Kate Green
 * Official portrait of Kate Green crop 2.jpg
 * 27 June 2020
 * 29 November 2021
 * Bridget Phillipson
 * Official portrait of Bridget Phillipson MP crop 2.jpg
 * 29 November 2021
 * 5 July 2024
 * Damian Hinds
 * Official_portrait_of_Damian_Hinds_MP_crop_2.jpg
 * 8 July 2024
 * incumbent
 * Conservative
 * Sunak
 * }