Days after its abolition, the DfES won the Tudor Rose prize at Hampton Court Palace flower show for its ‘learning outside the classroom: the Growing Schools garden[i]’. The prize is named after the royal dynasty in whose era so many famed schools were founded. The garden was designed to show the benefits of contact with the outdoors and the cycle of life. Is it possible separate the seed from the sapling and the sapling from the tree?
Arguably, the success or failure of the reshuffle will depend more on the personalities involved and their willingness to make it work than on the formal structure. At the time of writing the web sites are still under construction. A Kremlinologist might see significance in the link to DfES being redirected to the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) rather than DIUS.
Illustration: A jigsaw piece Department for Children, Schools and Families is headed by Secretary of State Ed Balls, a long time confidant of the Prime Minister with a strong background in economics and previously associated with the Treasury co-ordination of Whitehall.
Jim Knight was appointed to be Minister of State for Schools and 14 – 19 Learners by Tony Blair in May 2006. Mr Knight’s background is in publishing and theatre.
Beverley Hughes, after working in the probation service joined the Department of Social Policy at Manchester University eventually becoming its head. Her political experience began as a Trafford councillor and after election to parliament ranged through local government, regions, prisons, probation, immigration, citizenship and counter-terrorism. Her current role as Minister of State for Education is combined with being Minister for the North West.
Lord Andrew Adonis, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State, is the education spokesman in the Lords, appointed by Tony Blair. His background is as a broadsheet journalist and published writer on political and historical subjects and latterly as a ‘policy wonk’ close to Tony Blair.
Kevin Brennan, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State, has a background in education having been head of economics in a comprehensive. After a period as a local councillor in Cardiff he was elected to parliament and was particularly involved with adoption, children and muscular dystrophy for which he won an epolitix award in 2005.
Illustration: A jigsaw pieceThe Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills brings together functions from the former Department of Trade and Industry, including responsibilities for science and innovation, with further and higher education and skills, previously part of the Department for Education and Skills. The department will work to:
The Secretary of State is John Denham, one of the few MPs with a scientific background. Before entering parliament, Mr Denham worked in various environmental and development organisations and served as a local councillor. He held junior government positions in social security, health and the Home Office before resigning over the Iraq war.
Illustration: A jigsaw piece The various responsibilities of the ministers and undersecretaries are detailed in a press release[ii]. Bill Rammell: Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education was appointed by Tony Blair in 2005 after earlier service in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. At the FCO he was responsible for Latin America, North East Asia, China and Hong Kong. Other political experience was on Harlow Council. His previous work experience is with British Rail, Basildon Council, the NUS and General Manager Student Services London University.
Ian Pearson: Minister of State for Science and Innovation, has a background in economic development. He has held varied parliamentary posts. He was a member of the Education and Employment Select Committee from 1999 – 2001. Then he was Minister of State (Minister of Trade at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for Trade and Industry) 2005 to 2006 when he accompanied Tony Blair to China. Finally he served as Minister of State for Climate Change and Environment in the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from May 2006. He famously criticised Ryanair for not doing enough to combat climate change and in return was labelled an ‘idiot minister’[iii]. During the Minister’s time at DEFRA he took an interest in scientific and environmental matters which has carried over to the new job as evidenced by the debate on scientific advice of 09 July 2007[iv].
David Lammy: Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Skills has a legal background with degrees from the School of African and Oriental Studies and Harvard Law School. He has worked on a placement for Amnesty in Jamaica and volunteered for Prisoners Abroad in Thailand. He has practised law in California and the UK. He is the youngest MP and a parliamentary rarity in being black and one of five children of a single mother. His own website gives further details[v].
Lord Triesman: Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Intellectual Property and Quality was a colourful student activist and then had a long career in trade unions and the Labour Party[vi]. His main educational roles seem to be in student finances and HE quality control.
What do the biographies tell us?
Illustration: A jigsaw piece The ministers are from a variety of pre parliamentary backgrounds, with experience of social work, development issues and charities. Two of the ministers of state have had previous political responsibility for China. Several have educational and work experience in America. Many have experience of local council work. These all fit in with the Prime Minister’s expressed interest in development, international education links and devolution of central power to local government.
What are the pros and cons?
Illustration: A jigsaw piece Mike Baker of the BBC[vii] asked if Further education was the beneficiary of a strategic split or the child of a messy divorce. FE is the responsibility of different ministries before and after the age of 19. This could lead to FE living in poverty, shuttled between indifferent parents. Or it could end up getting twice as many Christmas presents from a brand new set of relatives as mum and dad remarry. Again, co-operation will happen if the personalities concerned will it.
The two main practical advantages of the reforms are clearly that science and higher education are brought under one roof and that children’s education is linked to youth justice and family policies.
Beverley Hughes’ previous experience in counter-terrorism and immigration may be useful after the so called ‘Doctors’ plot’. Anyone coming from overseas will be looked at more carefully.
Illustration: A jigsaw piece References
[i] Department for Education and Skills: The Growing Schools Garden - learning outside the classroom.
[ii] Denham announces new Ministerial Team at the Department For Innovation, Universities And Skills
[iii] Climate change minister lashes out at 'irresponsible' Ryanair
[iv] Scientific Advice debate, Hansard, 9 July 2007
[v] David Lammy personal website
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