IN July, when exams are over, it is normal to see delighted pupils sprinting out of school – but this year the teachers and many parents will be even more ecstatic.

Yes, that will be the near-universal reaction to the shock news that Michael Gove has lost his job as Education Secretary after four years of revolution and bitter conflict.

And, yesterday, there appeared little doubt that this deep dislike explained Mr Gove’s humiliating demotion – undoubtedly the biggest story in yesterday’s reshuffle.

No.10 tried to spin that the former Cameron favourite had gone willingly, that they had worked together on the reshuffle and that he would – as chief whip – be a key face of next year’s election campaign.

The reality is that Mr Gove was manoeuvring to add universities to his brief and has been forced out of the job that was his passion – because he made too many enemies.

And it wasn’t just the teachers. The Gove recipe of belittling local authority schools and turning back the clock on exams and curriculums – while starting a new fight every week – also antagonised the public.

Remember when he attacked the “smell of defeatism” in east Durham schools, only to admit he had never been there?

After Mr Gove turned a narrow Tory lead on education into a whopping 42-point deficit behind Labour, Mr Cameron decided enough was enough.

The wailing, yesterday, from his supporters that the radicalism would go out of Tory education policy – that the “blob” (as he called it) had won – laid bare their pain in defeat.

In the short term, policy is unlikely to change much – but it will be harder for Mr Cameron to proclaim schools as one of his big successes, when the man in charge had to go.

Elsewhere, the reshuffle was an attempt to tackle the damaging impression that this Government is an old boys’ club, replacing the male old guard with talented women.

So, Nicky Morgan replaces Mr Gove, Liz Truss moves up to Environment Secretary and work minister Esther McVey will attend Cabinet – although Mr Cameron held back from a full promotion.

However, this attempt to win over women may stumble over the reality that the number of full female Cabinet members has gone up from three to….er, a not that impressive five.

Worse, No.10 somehow managed the own goal of appointing the new (female) Lords Leader on less pay than her (male) predecessor – and Baroness Stowell is not in the Cabinet. Oh dear.

Voters may also notice that clearing out the old guard meant clearing out moderate Tories (Dominic Grieve, David Willetts, Greg Barker) in favour of rising right-wingers.

However, in reality, the economy, living standards, the state of the NHS – these are the things that will decide next year’s general election, not the new faces around the Cabinet table.

The only truly significant act yesterday was that Mr Cameron was forced to knife a key ally – because he is political poison with floating voters.