Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic
Màiri McAllan MSP was appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic in May 2026.
Responsibilities
- childcare and wraparound care
- school standards, quality and improvement, behaviour, inclusive education
- school infrastructure and staffing
- school learning, Additional Support Needs, support for learning
- Education Scotland
- Curriculum for Excellence development
- National Improvement Framework
- teaching profession
- removing barriers to education, closing attainment gap, supporting digital inclusion
- positive destinations, school leavers toolkit, Education Maintenance Allowances
- education strategy and performance, analytical services
- languages - Gaelic, Scots, BSL
- policy and support for culture, creative, arts, and architecture industries and festivals, supporting the creative workforce
- Museums and Galleries Scotland and cultural collections
- broadcasting and screen
- Creative Scotland, national performing companies
- intangible cultural heritage
Supporting Ministers
- Minister for Children, Young People, and The Promise
- Minister for Innovation, Technology and Tertiary Education
Biography
Màiri McAllan is a former corporate lawyer and Special Adviser to the First Minister and was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2021 to represent the constituency of Clydesdale.
Ms McAllan, while practising law, specialised in energy and natural resources in a large Glasgow firm. She also cofounded the human rights organisation ‘Reblaw Scotland’ during this time.
She was appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition in March 2023, Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy in February 2024 and Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy in May 2024. More recently, Ms McAllan served as Cabinet Secretary for Housing from June 2025 to May 2026.
- Read more about Màiri McAllan on the Scottish Parliament website.