The Spotlight: Who is Michael Gove?

Who is Michael Gove?

Michael Gove, the new Secretary of State for Education, has been in the spotlight over the early months of David Cameron’s coalition government.

Mr Gove is the Conservative MP for the wealthy constituency of Surrey Heath in south-east England. He won the seat at the 2005 General Election.

He was made Shadow Minister for Housing in December 2005, until he was promoted to Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in June 2007.

He made his mark as Shadow Children, Schools and Families Secretary with his “free schools” policy, which will see parents and other groups able to set up their own schools.

Mr Gove believes the policy will raise standards and attainment. He has also said disadvantaged children should be able to attend school on Saturdays to give them better access to sport, music and extra tuition.

Recent Political Criticism:

Michael Gove has recently come under criticism for cancelling the previous Labour government’s building schools for the future programme – a plan to invest £55 billion to repair and refurbish dilapidated state sector school facilities.

The secretary of state for education has defended his decision in parliament claiming that the programme is “over-bureaucratic and inefficient”.

Gove has also attracted headlines for speeding the passage of the academies bill through the houses of parliament.

Personal life

Born in Edinburgh in August 1967, Mr Gove was adopted when he was four months old by a family in Aberdeen.

His father was a fish merchant and his mother worked as a lab assistant at the University of Aberdeen and with deaf children for Aberdeen District Council.

Mr Gove was educated at both state and independent schools, in England and Scotland.

He studied English at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University in the 1980s and during his time there served as President of the Oxford Union.

Before becoming an MP, Mr Gove was a journalist and worked for the Times newspaper. He is married to Sarah Vine, a writer for the Times, and has two children.

Michael Gove in the Votetub Polls

Will Michael Gove’s plans for academy schools improve educational standards?  Click here to Vote Online