Margaret Parkes

Margaret Parkes CBE later Lady Parkes born Margaret Parr (26 September 1925 – 23 August 2007) was a British educationist. She led the development of the new educational subject of "Design and Technology"

Life Parkes was born in Seaton in 1925. She was the first child born to Dorothy Ann (born Roberts) and John Parkes. Her parents were both teachers. In time she would have two sisters. Her father became a headmaster in Cambridgeshire and he was then involved in developing the Impington Village College. Their report in June 1989 rolled together the subjects of craft, art, design, business studies, and information technology to create a new subject of "Design and Technology". The new subject aspired to re-energise the teaching of practical subjects in Britain with the objective of doing the same to the economy. The new compulsory subject was introduced the following year and the applause eased. The new adjectives included "disastrous" and "demoralising".

Parkes died in Oxford in 2009 having led the introduction of craft, design and technology into the National Curriculum.

Private life She married Edward Parkes and they had two children.