Secretary of State for Education (Spain)

The Secretary of State for Education (SEE) is the second highest-ranking official within the Ministry of Education of Spain. It is a political appointment made by the Monarch on the advice of the minister in charge of the ministerial department.

The Secretary of State of Education has ultimate responsibility for the execution of Government policy over non-university education. He coordinates the Spanish education system that currently is delegated to the regions; he proposes the subjects of study (with the exception of the sport subjects that are under the jurisdiction of the Superior Sports Council and the vocational training subjects, competence of the General Secretariat for Vocational Training); he designs and directs scholarship and study aid programs; he promotes equality and non-discrimination policies in education; he oversees civil servants working in education and is also in charge of international relations regarding education on behalf of the Government.

The Secretariat of State controls two departments: the Directorate-General for Territorial Evaluation and Cooperation, the Directorate-General for Vocational Training and the Directorate-General for Educational Planning and Management.