Minister for Education and Early Learning explained

Post:Minister for Education and Early Learning
Insignia:Coat of Arms of New South Wales.svg
Department:Department of Education
Incumbent:Prue Car
Style:The Honourable
Nominator:Premier of New South Wales
Appointer:Governor of New South Wales
Precursor:Minister of Justice and Public Instruction
Inaugural:Sir John Robertson
as Minister of Public Instruction
Formation:1 May 1880
Website:Department of Education

The New South Wales Minister for Education and Early Learning is a minister in the New South Wales Government and has responsibilities that includes all schools and institutes of higher education in New South Wales, Australia.[1]

Together, the ministers administer the portfolio through the Education cluster, in particular the Department of Education, TAFE NSW, and a range of other government agencies.

Ultimately, the ministers are responsible to the Parliament of New South Wales.

Office history

The role of administering the education system in New South Wales began with the passing by the New South Wales Legislative Council of the National Education Board Act 1848, which emulated the 'National' system of education established in Ireland by Lord Stanley in 1831 through the Stanley letter. The Act established the Board of National Education, a body corporate, with a Chairman of the Board appointed by the board members. The Board was abolished by the colonial government of Henry Parkes in 1866 with the passing of the Public Schools Act 1866 and its functions were replaced by the Council of Education.

Originally the bill for the act had included a measure to attach the role of President of the Council of Education ex officio to the Colonial Secretary. This measure was deleted in committee stage and the role of President was to be elected by the members of the council. This came to be seen by the first president, Parkes, as an indispensable way in which to protect the independence of the fledgling education system in the colony.[2] From 1873, with the independence of the role of President well established, the responsibility for education within the Parliament was held by the Minister of Justice and Public Instruction.

However this situation did not last and the independent council was abolished with the passing of the Public Instruction Act 1880 by Sir Henry Parkes' third government. The Act dissolved the Council of Education and transferred its responsibilities to a new Minister of Public Instruction, who had the role of establishing for the first time a well-structured system of public education throughout the colony. The Minister administered the portfolio through the Department of Public Instruction, which became the Department of Education in 1915.[3] In 2015 the functions of TAFE NSW were transferred from the education portfolio to the industry, portfolio only to return to the education portfolio in 2019.

Predecessor offices and ministers

Board of National Education/Council of Education

The Chairman or President were not ministers of the crown, although all but John Smith were current or former members of parliament.[4] They were independent of ministerial supervision until the Minister of Justice and Public Instruction was appointed in December 1873.[5]

OfficeOffice-holder[6] Term startTerm endTime in office
Chairman of the Board of National Education15 July 1848 1 February 1858
1 February 1858 31 December 1858
1 January 1859 31 December 1859
1 January 1860 31 December 1860
1 January 1861 31 December 1866
President of the Council of Education1 January 1867 14 October 1870
14 October 1870 14 July 1871
14 July 1871 1 January 1872
1 January 1872 30 April 1880

Ministers of Justice and Public Instruction

Title Minister Term start Term end Time in office Notes
Minister of Justice and Public Instruction9 December 1873 8 February 1875 [7]
9 February 1875 21 March 1877 [8]
22 March 1877 16 August 1877
17 August 1877 17 December 1877 [9]
18 December 1877 20 December 1878 [10]
21 December 1878 30 April 1880

List of ministers

The following individuals have been appointed Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning or any previous titles.

Ministers for Education

Minister Party Title data-sort-type="date" Term start !data-sort-type=date Term end !Time in office Notes
NoneMinister of Public Instruction 1 May 1880 10 November 1881
14 November 1881 4 January 1883
5 January 1883 6 March 1884
2 May 1884 21 December 1885
22 December 1885 25 February 1886
26 February 1886 19 January 1887
  20 January 1887 16 January 1889
  17 January 1889 7 March 1889
  8 March 1889 22 October 1891
  23 October 1891 2 August 1894
  3 August 1894 15 August 1898
27 August 1898 13 September 1899
  / 14 September 1899 14 June 1904
  15 June 1904 29 August 1904
  30 August 1904 13 May 1907
14 May 1907 20 October 1910
  21 October 1910 10 September 1911
11 September 1911 26 November 1911
27 November 1911 29 February 1912
1 March 1912 5 March 1915
6 March 1915 15 March 1915
15 March 1915 7 November 1916
  15 November 1916 12 April 1920
  13 April 1920 20 December 1921
  20 December 1921 20 December 1921 align=right 7 hours
  20 December 1921 13 April 1922
  13 April 1922 17 June 1925
  Minister for Education 17 June 1925 26 May 1927
Minister of Public Instruction 27 May 1927 18 October 1927
  Minister for Education 18 October 1927 3 November 1930
  4 November 1930 15 October 1931
  15 October 1931 13 May 1932
  16 May 1932 13 May 1941 align=right
  13 May 1941 8 June 1944
8 June 1944 31 May 1960
31 May 1960 13 May 1965
  13 May 1965 19 June 1972
  19 June 1972 23 January 1976
23 January 1976 14 May 1976
  14 May 1976 29 February 1980
29 February 1980 2 October 1981
2 October 1981 10 February 1984
10 February 1984 5 April 1984
5 April 1984 21 March 1988
  25 March 1988 24 July 1990
24 July 1990 26 May 1993
26 May 1993 4 April 1995
  4 April 1995 21 November 2001
21 November 2001 2 April 2003
2 April 2003 21 January 2005
21 January 2005 2 April 2007
2 April 2007 8 September 2008
8 September 2008 28 March 2011
  Minister for Education 3 April 2011 30 January 2017
  30 January 2017
  Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning
Minister for Education and Early Learning
  incumbent

Former ministerial titles

Assistant ministers

Occasionally, an Assistant Minister for Education would be appointed to assist the minister and act as a deputy.

Title Minister Party data-sort-type="date" Term start !data-sort-type=date Term end !Time in office Notes
Assistant Minister of Public Instruction  4 April 1916 18 July 1916
Assistant Minister for Education  13 May 1965 27 June 1967
Assistant Minister for Education  4 July 1986 21 March 1988
Assistant Minister for Education  3 July 1992 26 May 1993
Assistant Minister for Education  23 April 2014 2 April 2015
Assistant Minister for Education
Minister for Early Childhood Education		  2 April 2015 30 January 2017
30 January 2017

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: NSW Cabinet reshuffle: Premier Gladys Berejiklian announces big changes to front bench . . Australia . Vukovic, Dom. Gerathy, Sarah . McDonald, Philippa . 29 January 2017 . 29 January 2017.
  2. Book: Manzer. Ronald A.. Educational Regimes and Anglo-American Democracy. 2003. University of Toronto Press. Toronto. 389.
  3. Web site: Department of Public Instruction (1880-1915) Department of Education (1915-1989) Department of School Education (1989-1997). NSW State Records. NSW Government. 17 September 2015.
  4. Web site: AGY-90 Board of National Education . NSW State Records & Archives . 2020-12-30.
  5. Web site: AGY-89 Council of Education . NSW State Records & Archives . 2020-12-30.
  6. Web site: Government Schools of New South Wales form 1848 - Ministers. Department of Education. NSW Government. 17 September 2015.
  7. Sir George Wigram Allen (1824-1885) . 543 . Yes . 27 April 2019.
  8. Mr Joseph Docker (1802–1884) . 287 . Yes . 15 June 2019.
  9. Sir John Lackey (1830-1903) . 626 . Yes . 14 June 2019.
  10. Mr Joseph Leary (1831-1881) . 6312 . Yes . 20 August 2019.

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