Former education secretary Damian Hinds has returned to the Department for Education as a minister of state, Downing Street has announced.
FE Week understands he is replacing schools minister Nick Gibb, who resigned this week to pursue a job in the diplomatic service.
Hinds is the sixth person to hold the role in 18 months.
Hinds led the DfE between January 2018 and July 2019, during which time the government completed its reforms to technical education, including forcing through the 2020 introduction of T Levels against the advice of DfE’s most senior civil servant.
Hinds would be 6th schools minister in 18 months
Speaking to FE Week’s sister publication Schools Week after his departure, Hinds spoke of the fact there was “still an awful lot of work to do” on social mobility, and called for greater understanding of the role of education technology.
“Also character and resilience, which I think is such a fundamental part of social mobility and general preparation for life. I would’ve liked to have been able to develop our approach there further.”
Hinds returned to the government front bench in 2021 as minister of state for security and borders, and had served as minister for prisons, parole and probation since October last year.
During last year’s first Conservative leadership election, Hinds co-authored a Times article with Gibb backing Rishi Sunak, titled ‘We trust Rishi Sunak to deliver for our children’s futures.
Sunak lost that leadership race, but became prime minister later in the year after Liz Truss resigned after 49 days in office.
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