Education boss leaving Government

Saturday 05 September 2020

The Director General for the Department for Children, Young People, Education and Skills will be leaving Government at the end of this year due to "family matters."

Ex-Birmingham City Council Chief and former headteacher Mark Rogers was first appointed to the role as an Interim Director by Charlie Parker in June 2018, before taking on the role full-time in July of that year.

Mr Rogers was responsible for the structuring and running of the new department, which was created as part of Mr Parker's 'OneGov' reform and brought Education and Children's Services under the same umbrella.

CYPES' creation aimed to renew the Government's focus around child welfare in the wake of the damning £23m Jersey Care Inquiry report.

In recent months, Mr Rogers' attentions have been focused on the impact of covid on children and schools, with the Director General overseeing the phased return of children and workers to schools after lockdown and a full return on Thursday following the summer break.

Pictured: Mr Rogers has been working to oversee the development, welfare and education of children since 2018. 

Mr Rogers announced his departure to Education staff in an email yesterday morning.

He wrote: "It is with a heavy heart that I write to you to advise that I have made the difficult decision to step down as Director General for the Department of Children, Young People, Education and Skills at the end of the year. Over recent months, it has become clear that there are some important family matters that I need to give my full attention to and that this can only be done by relocating to the UK.

"I am equally clear that there are responsibilities I have as Director General that need my ongoing commitment, attention and time, hence continuing in role until the end of 2020. During this time, I remain as determined as ever to progressing our shared goal of putting children first: we have much still to do and I look forward to continuing to deliver with you all on this priority.

"In terms of what comes after me, there will be communication from the Chief Executive in due course. Meanwhile, let's just crack on."

Contacted by Express for comment earlier this week, a Government spokesperson responded yesterday afternoon, saying: “We can confirm that Mark Rogers will step down from his role as Director General for the Department of Children, Young People, Education and Skills, at the end of the year, due to important family matters in the UK."

They added that "a recruitment process is now underway."

The news comes in the same week that Express reported on the departure of another senior civil servant – Group Director of Policy, Dr Megan Mathias – who will be leaving her role after less than two years in Government.

Last month, the CYPES department was also reported to have been the subject of 26% of total whistleblower complaints over the past year.