Rishi Sunak has appointed the fifth education secretary in just under four months.
Loyal backer Gillian Keegan was drafted into the role during the cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, taking over from Kit Malthouse.
Mr Malthouse announced his departure in a Twitter post, saying: “As I leave the Department for Education, I do so with profound gratitude to officials, my private office team, and brilliant advisers, who all worked so hard.
“I hope my successor can harness their commitment to the most important mission in Whitehall: the future and welfare of our children.”
They are, staggeringly, the tenth education secretary in 12 years, and the fifth in just four months— Dr Mary Bousted, National Education Union
He added: “Our time together was short, but you will hear more from me in the months to come.”
But his one month and 19-day tenure as education secretary was not the only one that was short, with Michelle Donelan lasting just two days in the role under Boris Johnson’s premiership.
She followed Nadhim Zahawi who was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer by Mr Johnson on July 5 after Mr Sunak resigned from the post.
James Cleverly was in the post for two months after Ms Donelan, before being moved to the Foreign Office by Liz Truss in her reshuffle.
Ms Keegan previously hit the headlines after apologising for continuing a face-to-face meeting with three men who had lost their daughters to suicide, despite being told she had tested positive for Covid-19.
She also once told BBC Question Time England footballers taking the knee before matches was “creating new divisions” and was “symbolism more than action”.
In her time as an education minister, she was criticised after sharing photographs of herself in France as the A-Level results drama under Gavin Williamson unfolded.
Reacting to the appointment, Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “They are, staggeringly, the tenth education secretary in 12 years, and the fifth in just four months.
Education is far too important to be subjected to such damaging levels of instability— Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT
“This does not fill teachers, parents or students with any confidence that this Government is treating the education brief as one of the most important jobs in Cabinet.
“We can only hope that the self-indulgence of the Conservative party is now over, and they will finally focus on the needs of the nation.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, added: “Education is far too important to be subjected to such damaging levels of instability.
“The challenges facing schools are urgent and are affecting the lives and life-chances of millions of children, right now.
“School leaders will be hopeful that in Gillian Keegan we might now finally have an Education Secretary who understands that education should be seen not as a drain on the nation’s finances, but as the best investment that can be made in our country’s future – and who stays the course to the next election to make education a priority for this Government again.”
