Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic
Cabinet position in the Scottish Government
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The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic (Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a' Chaibineit airson Foghlaim, Cultar agus Gàidhlig), commonly referred to as the Education Secretary (Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire an Fhoghlaim), is a position in the Scottish Government Cabinet responsible for all levels of education in Scotland. The incumbent is Màiri McAllan, who assumed office on 20 May 2026.
- Cabinet Secretary (within parliament)
- Education Secretary (informal)
- Scottish Education Secretary (outwith Scotland)
| Scotland Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic | |
|---|---|
| Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire a' Chaibineit airson Foghlaim, Cultar agus Gàidhlig | |
| |
| Style |
|
| Member of | |
| Reports to | |
| Seat | Edinburgh |
| Appointer |
|
| Inaugural holder | Sam Galbraith Minister for Education and Children |
| Formation | 19 May 1999 |
| Deputy | |
| Salary | £126,452 per annum (2024)[1] (including £72,196 MSP salary) |
| Website | www |
The Cabinet Secretary is supported by the Minister for Higher and Further Education, Graeme Dey, and the Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise, Natalie Don.[2]
History
The position was created in 1999 as the Minister for Children and Education; it was renamed as the Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs in 2000 and given more responsibilities; those were taken away from the post in 2001 and it was renamed again as the Minister for Education and Young People. The current position of Cabinet Secretary was created following the 2007 election.
Overview
Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic include:[3]
- Childcare and wraparound care
- School standards, quality and improvement, behaviour, inclusive education
- School infrastructure and staffing
- School learning, Additional Support Needs, support for learning
- Education Scotland
- Curriculum for Excellence development
- National Improvement Framework
- Teaching profession
- Removing barriers to education, closing attainment gap, supporting digital inclusion
- Positive destinations, school leavers toolkit, Education Maintenance Allowances
- Education strategy and performance, analytical services
- Languages of Scotland: Scottish Gaelic, Scots, British Sign Language
- Policy and support for culture, creative, arts, and architecture industries and festivals, supporting the creative workforce
- Museums and galleries, and cultural collections
- Broadcasting and screen
- Creative Scotland, national performing companies
- Intangible cultural heritage
Public bodies
The following public bodies report to the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic:
- Care Inspectorate
- Children's Hearings Scotland
- Creative Scotland
- Education Scotland
- National Galleries of Scotland
- National Museums Scotland
- Scottish Children's Reporter Administration
- Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council
- Scottish Qualifications Authority
- Scottish Social Services Council
- Student Awards Agency for Scotland
List of office holders
Minister for Children and Education | ||||||
| Name | Portrait | Entered office | Left office | Party | First Minister | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Galbraith |  |
19 May 1999 | 1 November 2000 | Labour Party | Donald Dewar | |
Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs | ||||||
| Jack McConnell |  |
1 November 2000 | 22 November 2001 | Labour Party | Henry McLeish | |
Minister for Education and Young People | ||||||
| Cathy Jamieson |  |
28 November 2001 | 20 May 2003 | Labour Party | Jack McConnell | |
| Peter Peacock |  |
20 May 2003 | 14 November 2006 | |||
| Hugh Henry |  |
14 November 2006 | 17 May 2007 | |||
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning | ||||||
| Fiona Hyslop | .jpg) |
17 May 2007 | 1 December 2009 | Scottish National Party | Alex Salmond | |
| Michael Russell | .jpg) |
1 December 2009 | 21 November 2014 | |||
| Angela Constance |  |
21 November 2014 | 18 May 2016 | Nicola Sturgeon | ||
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills | ||||||
| John Swinney |  |
18 May 2016 | 18 May 2021 | Scottish National Party | Nicola Sturgeon | |
| Shirley-Anne Somerville |  |
19 May 2021 | 29 March 2023 | |||
| Jenny Gilruth | .jpg) |
29 March 2023 | 20 May 2026 | Humza Yousaf John Swinney | ||
Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic | ||||||
| Màiri McAllan | .jpg) |
20 May 2026 | incumbent | Scottish National Party | John Swinney | |
