The new education secretary has pledged to 鈥渞einvigorate鈥 the schools 鈥渞evolution鈥 started by Michael Gove, as he vowed to intervene 鈥渇irmly鈥 in underperforming schools to 鈥減ush鈥 them into academy trusts. Kit Malthouse told a Centre for Policy Studies fringe event at the Conservative Party conference that the Covid-19 pandemic had 鈥渟talled鈥 the movement started when the party came to power in 2010, and said he had told his team to 鈥減ut some more momentum behind us鈥. The future of put forward under Boris Johnson remains uncertain amid a review of policies by new prime minister Liz Truss. The passage of the schools bill, which was supposed to help deliver a target of all schools being in or in the process of joining a multi-academy trust by 2030, has been delayed. But Malthouse鈥檚 emphasis on using academy trusts to improve schools in one of his first speeches in the role suggests the government will pursue the same aims, even if the proposed method is changed. The education secretary, an ally of both Johnson and Truss who previously served as policing and housing minister and a deputy mayor of London, also made light of recent churn in the education secretary role. When he was appointed, Malthouse was the fifth person to hold the role in just a year. He said he was 鈥渢hrilled to get the job鈥 in 鈥渂y far and away the most important department in Whitehall鈥. 鈥淎nd so my job, I think, over the next…few weeks, given I鈥檓 the fifth in a year, hopefully longer, is to reinvigorate that revolution, that mission that was started at the beginning of the Conservative era, back in in 2010.鈥 Education the Tories’ ‘big success story’ He claimed education had been the 鈥渂ig success story of the last decade or so鈥. 鈥淭he revolution started by Michael Gove and built on by others, Justine Greening, Nicky Morgan, others who followed, has really seen a transformation in our schools. And I think frankly, we don’t talk about it enough. The numbers are extraordinary.鈥 Michael Gove He pointed to the fact 87 per cent of schools are rated 鈥榞ood鈥 or 鈥榦utstanding鈥, and the fact 82 per cent of six-year-olds meet the 鈥渆xpected standard鈥 in phonics, as well as the country鈥檚 standing in the PISA and PIRLS international studies. 鈥淲hen Michael Gove said all those years ago, that he wanted every child to be the author of their own life story, we鈥檝e delivered that for millions and millions of children over the last decade or so. We shouldn鈥檛 be shy about shouting about our success.鈥 His praise for Gove comes despite a series of interventions from the former cabinet minister, who has become one of the most critical backbench voicesagainst the government’s recent mini-budget. He also reportedly told another fringe event he was against Truss’s plans to expand selective education. Academy transfers fall to four-year low during pandemic The number of schools becoming academies stalled during Covid Pandemic has ‘stalled’ momentum Malthouse admitted there was 鈥渟till a hell of a lot more to do, and the pandemic has meant that the mission, the revolution, the movement that was started has stalled.鈥 He said he had tasked his staff with putting 鈥渟ome more momentum behind us鈥. 鈥淭hat means getting into those schools that are not performing hard, really intervening firmly and swiftly, turning them around, pushing them into multi-academy trusts, not being shy to amalgamate trusts, to expand the good ones, backing quality where we can, being honest with the sector about what is needed.鈥 He added that ministers 鈥渄on’t have time to muck about鈥. 鈥淲e have to put some energy into this, spread, consolidate, back quality, really give some push to the revolution. And I hope that over the next 18 months, by the time we get to the election, whenever it may be, we are able to really shout proud about what we鈥檝e done on education.鈥