Walker, who was minister of state for the Department for Education between September 2021 and July this year, was elected as chair over three other candidates.
The MP for Worcester was elected with 228 votes, beating second-placed candidate Caroline Ansell, MP for Eastbourne, by 124 votes across two rounds of voting.
David Simmonds, MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, received 84 votes overall, while Jonathan Gullis, MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, was excluded after receiving just 56 votes in the first round.
Walker replaces Robert Halfon who returned to the Department for Education as minster for skills and apprenticeships last month.
Halfon had been chair of the committee since June 2017.
Huge congratulations to @WalkerWorcester in his deserved election as new Chair of @CommonsEd. He will be a brilliant and thoughtful advocate for education, skills, apprenticeships & Higher Education 👇 https://t.co/XD9hMg2jEW
— Robert Halfon MP ➡️Working Hard for Harlow⬅️ (@halfon4harlowMP) November 16, 2022
Following his election as chair, Walker said: “Thank you to all colleagues across the house who have supported me, I’ve been honoured to receive the support of some of the people I respect most in parliament from opposition and government alike.
“Nothing can be more important than education, which unlocks opportunity. The work of the education select committee is more relevant and important than ever.
“I am looking forward to working with the committee on issues such as childcare and the cost of living, to keep up the great work which former chair Robert Halfon started on attendance, safeguarding, skills, careers and special educational needs and to hold ministers to account.
“From childcare settings, through schools to colleges, apprenticeships and universities, this committee has a huge range of institutions to look at and people to support, which are relevant in every constituency up and down the country.”
