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Minister for Education and Early Learning
Incumbent Prue Car since 28 March 2023 (2023-03-28)
Department of Education
Style	The Honourable
Nominator	Premier of New South Wales
Appointer	Governor of New South Wales
Precursor	Minister of Justice and Public Instruction
Inaugural holder	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.

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. 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. 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. They were independent of ministerial supervision until the Minister of Justice and Public Instruction was appointed in December 1873.

Ministers of Justice and Public Instruction

List of ministers

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

Ministers for Education

Former ministerial titles

Assistant ministers

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

See also

• List of New South Wales government agencies

References

1. ^ Vukovic, Dom; Gerathy, Sarah; McDonald, Philippa (29 January 2017). "NSW Cabinet reshuffle: Premier Gladys Berejiklian announces big changes to front bench". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
2. ^ "Parliament, Ministerial, Courts and Police (662)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 21 December 2021.
3. ^ "AGY-90 Board of National Education". NSW State Records & Archives. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
4. Manzer, Ronald A. (2003). Educational Regimes and Anglo-American Democracy. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 389.
5. "Department of Public Instruction (1880-1915) Department of Education (1915-1989) Department of School Education (1989-1997)". NSW State Records. NSW Government. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
6. "Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Public Service Agencies) Order 2019 [NSW] (159)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 2 April 2019. p. 7-8. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
7. "AGY-89 Council of Education". NSW State Records & Archives. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
8. "Government Schools of New South Wales form 1848 - Ministers". Department of Education. NSW Government. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
9. ^ "Part 6 Ministries since 1856" (PDF). NSW Parliamentary Record. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
10. "Sir George Wigram Allen (1824-1885)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
11. "Mr Joseph Docker (1802–1884)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
12. ^ "Sir Francis Bathurst Suttor (1839-1915)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
13. "Sir John Lackey (1830-1903)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
14. "Mr Joseph Leary (1831-1881)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 August 2019.

v t e Ministerial portfolios of New South Wales
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Current Ministry

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• Ministers of the New South Wales state government
• Education ministers