List of education ministers of France

This page is a list of French education ministers.

A governmental position overseeing public education was first created in France in 1802. Following the various regime changes in France in the first decades of the 19th century, the position changed official status and name a number of times before the position of Minister of Public Instruction was created in 1828. For much of its history, the position was combined with that of Minister of Public Worship, who dealt with issues related to the Roman Catholic Church, except in instances where the Minister of Public Instruction was a Protestant. The position has also occasionally been combined with Minister of Sports and Minister of Youth Affairs. In 1932, the office's title was changed to Minister of National Education, although it was briefly changed back in 1940–1941, and was renamed Minister of Education during the presidency of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (1974–1981).

Administrators (various titles) of Public Instruction or the University, 1802–1828

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Minister Began Ended
Antoine François Fourcroy (Directeur général de l'Instruction publique) 14 September 1802 17 March 1808
Louis de Fontanes (Grand maître de l'Université) 17 March 1808 17 February 1815
Louis-François de Bausset (Président du Conseil royal de l'Instruction publique) 17 February 1815 20 March 1815
Bernard Étienne Germain de la Ville sur Illon (Grand maître de l'Université impériale) 20 March 1815 9 May 1815
Charles-François Lebrun, duc de Plaisance (Grand maître de l'Université impériale) 9 May 1815 15 August 1815
Pierre-Paul Royer-Collard (Président de la commission de l'Instruction publique) 15 August 1815 1818
Frédéric Cuvier (Grand maître de l'Université) 13 September 1819 1 November 1820
Élie Decazes (Président de la commission de l'Instruction publique) 29 December 1818 21 February 1820
Joseph Jérôme, Comte Siméon (Président de la commission de l'Instruction publique) 21 February 1820 4 October 1820
Joseph Louis Joachim Lainé (Président du Conseil royal de l'Instruction publique) 4 October 1820 21 December 1820
Joseph Louis Joachim Lainé 21 December 1820 31 July 1821
Jacques Joseph Guillaume François Pierre Corbière (Président du Conseil royal de l'Instruction publique) 31 July 1821 1 June 1822
Frédéric Cuvier (Président par intérim du Conseil royal de l'Instruction publique) 1 June 1822 26 August 1824
Denis-Luc Frayssinous (Grand maître de l'Université royale) 26 August 1824 1 February 1828
Denis-Luc Frayssinous (Ministre des Affaires ecclésiastiques et de l'Instruction publique) 1 February 1828 10 February 1828

Ministers of Public Instruction, 1828–1932

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Minister Began Ended
Antoine François Henri Lefebvre de Vatimesnil 10 February 1828 8 August 1829
Guillaume Isidore, comte de Montbel 8 August 1829 18 November 1829
Martial, comte de Guernon-Ranville 18 November 1829 31 July 1830
François Guizot 31 July 1830 1 August 1830
Louis, baron Bignon 1 August 1830 11 August 1830
Achille Léonce Victor Charles, duc de Broglie 11 August 1830 2 November 1830
Joseph Mérilhou 2 November 1830 27 November 1830
Félix Barthe 27 November 1830 13 March 1831
Marthe Camille Bachasson, comte de Montalivet 13 March 1831 30 April 1832
Louis Gaspard Amédée, baron Girod de l'Ain 30 April 1832 11 October 1832
François Guizot 11 October 1832 10 November 1834
Jean-Baptiste Teste 10 November 1834 18 November 1834
François Guizot 18 November 1834 22 February 1836
Privat Joseph Claramont, comte Pelet de la Lozère 22 February 1836 6 September 1836
François Guizot 6 September 1836 15 April 1837
Narcisse Achille de Salvandy 15 April 1837 31 March 1839
Narcisse Parant 31 March 1839 12 May 1839
Abel-François Villemain 12 May 1839 1 March 1840
Victor Cousin 1 March 1840 29 October 1840
Abel-François Villemain 29 October 1840 1 February 1845
Narcisse Achille de Salvandy 1 February 1845 24 February 1848
Hippolyte Carnot 24 February 1848 5 July 1848
Achille Tenaille de Vaulabelle 5 July 1848 13 October 1848
Alexandre Pierre Freslon 13 October 1848 20 December 1848
Alfred Frédéric, comte de Falloux 20 December 1848 31 October 1849
Marie Louis Pierre Félix Esquirou de Parieu 31 October 1849 24 January 1851
Charles Giraud 24 January 1851 10 April 1851
Marie Jean Pierre Pie Frédéric Dombidau de Crouseilhes 10 April 1851 26 October 1851
Charles Giraud 26 October 1851 3 December 1851
Hippolyte Fortoul 3 December 1851 7 June 1856
Gustave Rouland 13 August 1856 23 June 1863
Victor Duruy 23 June 1863 17 July 1869
Louis Olivier Bourbeau 17 July 1869 2 January 1870
Émile Alexis Segris 2 January 1870 14 April 1870
Maurice Richard 14 April 1870 15 May 1870
Jacques Philippe Mège 15 May 1870 10 August 1870
Jules Louis Joseph Brame 10 August 1870 4 September 1870
Jules Simon 5 September 1870 17 May 1873
William Henry Waddington 18 May 1873 25 May 1873
Anselme Batbie 25 May 1873 26 November 1873
Oscar Bardi de Fourtou 26 November 1873 22 May 1874
Arthur de Cumont 22 May 1874 10 March 1875
Henri-Alexandre Wallon 10 March 1875 9 March 1876
William Henry Waddington 9 March 1876 17 May 1877
Joseph Brunet 17 May 1877 23 November 1877
Hervé Faye 23 November 1877 13 December 1877
Agénor Bardoux 13 December 1877 4 February 1879
Jules Ferry 4 February 1879 14 November 1881
Paul Bert 14 November 1881 30 January 1882
Jules Ferry 30 January 1882 7 August 1882
Jules Duvaux 7 August 1882 21 February 1883
Jules Ferry 21 February 1883 20 November 1883
Armand Fallières 20 November 1883 6 April 1885
René Goblet 6 April 1885 11 December 1886
Marcellin Berthelot 11 December 1886 30 May 1887
Eugène Spuller 30 May 1887 12 December 1887
Léopold Faye 12 December 1887 3 April 1888
Édouard Lockroy 3 April 1888 22 February 1889
Armand Fallières 22 February 1889 17 March 1890
Léon Bourgeois 17 March 1890 6 December 1892
Charles Dupuy 6 December 1892 4 April 1893
Raymond Poincaré 4 April 1893 3 December 1893
Eugène Spuller 3 December 1893 30 May 1894
Georges Leygues 30 May 1894 26 January 1895
Raymond Poincaré 26 January 1895 1 November 1895
Émile Combes 1 November 1895 29 April 1896
Alfred Rambaud 29 April 1896 28 June 1898
Léon Bourgeois 28 June 1898 1 November 1898
Georges Leygues 1 November 1898 7 June 1902
Joseph Chaumié 7 June 1902 24 January 1905
Jean-Baptiste Bienvenu-Martin 24 January 1905 14 March 1906
Aristide Briand 14 March 1906 4 January 1908
Gaston Doumergue 4 January 1908 3 November 1910
Maurice Faure 3 November 1910 2 March 1911
Théodore Steeg 2 March 1911 14 January 1912
Gabriel Guist'hau 14 January 1912 21 January 1913
Théodore Steeg 21 January 1913 22 March 1913
Louis Barthou 22 March 1913 9 December 1913
René Viviani 9 December 1913 9 June 1914
Arthur Dessoye 9 June 1914 13 June 1914
Victor Augagneur 13 June 1914 3 August 1914
Albert Sarraut 3 August 1914 29 October 1915
Paul Painlevé 29 October 1915 12 December 1916
René Viviani 12 December 1916 20 March 1917
Théodore Steeg 20 March 1917 12 September 1917
Charles Daniel-Vincent 12 September 1917 16 November 1917
Louis Lafferre 16 November 1917 27 November 1919
Léon Bérard 27 November 1919 20 January 1920
André Honorrat 20 January 1920 16 January 1921
Léon Bérard 16 January 1921 29 March 1924
Henry de Jouvenel 29 March 1924 9 June 1924
Adolphe Landry 9 June 1924 14 June 1924
François Albert 14 June 1924 17 April 1925
Anatole de Monzie 17 April 1925 11 October 1925
Yvon Delbos 11 October 1925 28 November 1925
Édouard Daladier 28 November 1925 9 March 1926
Lucien Lamoureux 9 March 1926 23 June 1926
Bertrand Nogaro 23 June 1926 19 July 1926
Édouard Daladier 19 July 1926 23 July 1926
Édouard Herriot 23 July 1926 11 November 1928
Pierre Marraud 11 November 1928 21 February 1930
Jean Durand 21 February 1930 2 March 1930
Pierre Marraud 2 March 1930 13 December 1930
Camille Chautemps 13 December 1930 27 January 1931
Mario Roustan 27 January 1931 3 June 1932

Ministers of National Education, 1932–present

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Minister Began Ended
Anatole de Monzie 3 June 1932 30 January 1934
Aimé Berthod 30 January 1934 8 November 1934
André Mallarmé 8 November 1934 1 June 1935
Mario Roustan 1 June 1935 7 June 1935
Philippe Marcombes 7 June 1935 13 June 1935
Mario Roustan 17 June 1935 24 January 1936
Henri Guernut 24 January 1936 4 June 1936
Jean Zay 4 June 1936 10 September 1939
Yvon Delbos 13 September 1939 21 March 1940
Albert Sarraut 21 March 1940 5 June 1940
Yvon Delbos 5 June 1940 16 June 1940
Albert Rivaud 16 June 1940 12 July 1940
Émile Mireaux (Minister of Public Instruction) 12 July 1940 6 September 1940
Georges Ripert (Minister of Public Instruction) 6 September 1940 13 December 1940
Jacques Chevalier (Minister of Public Instruction) 13 December 1940 23 February 1941
Jérôme Carcopino 25 February 1941 18 April 1942
Abel Bonnard 18 April 1942 19 August 1944
René Capitant 19 August 1944 21 November 1945
Paul Giacobbi 21 November 1945 26 January 1946
Marcel Edmond Naegelen 26 January 1946 12 February 1948
Édouard Depreux 12 February 1948 26 July 1948
Yvon Delbos 26 July 1948 5 September 1948
Michel Tony-Révillon 5 September 1948 11 September 1948
Yvon Delbos 11 September 1948 2 July 1950
André Morice 2 July 1950 12 July 1950
Pierre-Olivier Lapie 12 July 1950 11 August 1952
André Marie 11 August 1952 19 June 1954
Jean Berthoin 19 June 1954 1 February 1956
René Billères 1 February 1956 14 May 1958
Jacques Bordeneuve 14 May 1958 1 June 1958
Jean Berthoin 1 June 1958 8 January 1959
André Boulloche 8 January 1959 23 December 1959
Michel Debré 23 December 1959 15 January 1960
Louis Joxe 15 January 1960 23 November 1960
Pierre Guillaumat 23 November 1960 20 February 1961
Lucien Paye 20 February 1961 15 April 1962
Pierre Sudreau 15 April 1962 15 October 1962
Louis Joxe 15 October 1962 28 November 1962
Christian Fouchet 28 November 1962 6 April 1967
Alain Peyrefitte 6 April 1967 30 May 1968
François-Xavier Ortoli 30 May 1968 10 July 1968
Edgar Faure 10 July 1968 23 June 1969
Olivier Guichard 23 June 1969 7 July 1972
Joseph Fontanet 7 July 1972 28 May 1974
René Haby (Minister of Education) 28 May 1974 5 April 1978
Christian Beullac (Minister of Education) 5 April 1978 22 May 1981
Alain Savary 22 May 1981 19 July 1984
Jean-Pierre Chevènement 19 July 1984 20 March 1986
René Monory 20 March 1986 12 May 1988
Lionel Jospin 12 May 1988 2 April 1992
Jack Lang 2 April 1992 29 March 1993
François Bayrou 29 March 1993 4 June 1997
Claude Allègre 4 June 1997 28 March 2000
Jack Lang 28 March 2000 7 May 2002
Luc Ferry 7 May 2002 31 March 2004
François Fillon 31 March 2004 2 June 2005
Gilles de Robien 2 June 2005 15 May 2007
Xavier Darcos 18 May 2007 23 June 2009
Luc Chatel 23 June 2009 16 May 2012
Vincent Peillon 16 May 2012 31 March 2014
Benoît Hamon 2 April 2014 25 August 2014
Najat Vallaud-Belkacem 26 August 2014 17 May 2017
Jean-Michel Blanquer 17 May 2017 20 May 2022
Pap Ndiaye 20 May 2022 20 July 2023
Gabriel Attal 20 July 2023 9 January 2024
Amélie Oudéa-Castéra 11 January 2024 08 February 2024
Nicole Belloubet 08 February 2024 21 September 2024
Anne Genetet 21 September 2024