[1] As education is France's largest employment domain, the ministry directs the work of more than half of the state civil servants.

On 11 January 2024, with the installation of the Attal government, the ministry changed its name to Ministère de l'Éducation nationale, de la Jeunesse, des Sports et des Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques (Ministry of National Education, Youth, Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games).

After the 2024 French legislative election, Anne Genetet was appointed Minister of National Education on 21 September 2024.

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.

In 1975, it created the Comité d'études sur les formations d'ingénieurs which studies the training and job placement of engineers in France.