# Minister of Education (New Zealand)

The Minister of Education is a minister in the New Zealand Government with responsibility for the country's schools, and is in charge of the Ministry of Education.
The present Minister is Erica Stanford, a member of the National Party.

## History

The first minister was appointed in 1878, shortly after the abolition of the Provinces allowed the central government to assume responsibility for education. It has existed without major interruption since then. The size of the portfolio has meant that, particularly since the Fourth Labour Government, additional associate ministers of education, and at times one or more ministers responsible for tertiary education, have been established.

## List of Education Ministers
### Key

Independent  Liberal  Reform  United  Labour  National
| No. | Name | Term of Office | Term of Office | Prime Minister |
| 1 | John Ballance | 12 January 1878 | 1 July 1879 | Grey |
| 2 | William Rolleston | 8 October 1879 | 15 December 1880 | Hall |
| 3 | Thomas Dick | 15 December 1880 | 16 August 1884 | Hall |
| 3 | Thomas Dick | 15 December 1880 | 16 August 1884 | Whitaker |
| 3 | Thomas Dick | 15 December 1880 | 16 August 1884 | Atkinson |
| 4 | William Montgomery | 16 August 1884 | 28 August 1884 | Stout |
| 5 | Robert Stout | 8 January 1885 | 8 October 1887 | Stout |
| 6 | George Fisher | 8 October 1887 | 8 April 1889 | Atkinson |
| 7 | Harry Atkinson | 8 April 1889 | 9 July 1889 | Atkinson |
| 8 | Thomas William Hislop | 9 July 1889 | 24 January 1891 | Atkinson |
| 9 | William Pember Reeves | 24 January 1891 | 10 January 1896 | Ballance |
| 9 | William Pember Reeves | 24 January 1891 | 10 January 1896 | Seddon |
| 10 | William Campbell Walker | 11 March 1896 | 22 June 1903 | Seddon |
| 11 | Richard Seddon | 22 June 1903 | 10 June 1906 | Seddon |
| 12 | William Hall-Jones | 10 June 1906 | 6 August 1906 | Hall-Jones |
| 13 | George Fowlds | 6 August 1906 | 4 September 1911 | Ward |
| 14 | Josiah Hanan | 28 March 1912 | 10 July 1912 | Mackenzie |
| 15 | James Allen | 10 July 1912 | 12 August 1915 | Massey |
| (14) | Josiah Hanan | 12 August 1915 | 25 August 1919 | Massey |
| 16 | Francis Bell | 4 September 1919 | 3 April 1920 | Massey |
| 17 | James Parr | 3 April 1920 | 24 May 1926 | Massey |
| 17 | James Parr | 3 April 1920 | 24 May 1926 | Bell |
| 17 | James Parr | 3 April 1920 | 24 May 1926 | Coates |
| 18 | Robert Wright | 24 May 1926 | 10 December 1928 | Coates |
| 19 | Harry Atmore | 10 December 1928 | 22 September 1931 | Ward |
| 19 | Harry Atmore | 10 December 1928 | 22 September 1931 | Forbes |
| 20 | Robert Masters | 22 September 1931 | 22 November 1934 | Forbes |
| 21 | Sydney Smith | 22 November 1934 | 6 December 1935 | Forbes |
| 22 | Peter Fraser | 6 December 1935 | 30 April 1940 | Savage |
| 22 | Peter Fraser | 6 December 1935 | 30 April 1940 | Fraser |
| 23 | Rex Mason | 30 April 1940 | 18 October 1947 | Fraser |
| 24 | Terry McCombs | 18 October 1947 | 13 December 1949 | Fraser |
| 25 | Ronald Algie | 13 December 1949 | 12 December 1957 | Holland |
| 25 | Ronald Algie | 13 December 1949 | 12 December 1957 | Holyoake |
| 26 | Philip Skoglund | 12 December 1957 | 12 December 1960 | Nash |
| 27 | Blair Tennent | 12 December 1960 | 20 December 1963 | Holyoake |
| 28 | Arthur Kinsella | 20 December 1963 | 22 December 1969 | Holyoake |
| 29 | Brian Talboys | 22 December 1969 | 9 February 1972 | Holyoake |
| 30 | Lorrie Pickering | 9 February 1972 | 8 December 1972 | Marshall |
| 31 | Phil Amos | 8 December 1972 | 12 December 1975 | Kirk |
| 31 | Phil Amos | 8 December 1972 | 12 December 1975 | Rowling |
| 32 | Les Gandar | 12 December 1975 | 13 December 1978 | Muldoon |
| 33 | Merv Wellington | 13 December 1978 | 26 July 1984 | Muldoon |
| 34 | Russell Marshall | 26 July 1984 | 24 August 1987 | Lange |
| 35 | David Lange | 24 August 1987 | 8 August 1989 | Lange |
| 36 | Geoffrey Palmer | 8 August 1989 | 14 August 1989 | Palmer |
| 37 | Phil Goff | 14 August 1989 | 2 November 1990 | Palmer |
| 37 | Phil Goff | 14 August 1989 | 2 November 1990 | Moore |
| 38 | Lockwood Smith | 2 November 1990 | 1 March 1996 | Bolger |
| 39 | Wyatt Creech | 1 March 1996 | 31 January 1999 | Bolger |
| 39 | Wyatt Creech | 1 March 1996 | 31 January 1999 | Shipley |
| 40 | Nick Smith | 31 January 1999 | 10 December 1999 | Shipley |
| 41 | Trevor Mallard | 10 December 1999 | 19 October 2005 | Clark |
| 42 | Steve Maharey | 19 October 2005 | 31 October 2007 | Clark |
| 43 | Chris Carter | 31 October 2007 | 19 November 2008 | Clark |
| 44 | Anne Tolley | 19 November 2008 | 12 December 2011 | Key |
| 45 | Hekia Parata | 12 December 2011 | 2 May 2017 | Key |
| 45 | Hekia Parata | 12 December 2011 | 2 May 2017 | English |
| 46 | Nikki Kaye | 2 May 2017 | 26 October 2017 | English |
| 47 | Chris Hipkins | 26 October 2017 | 25 January 2023 | Ardern |
| 48 | Jan Tinetti | 1 February 2023 | 27 November 2023 | Hipkins |
| 49 | Erica Stanford | 27 November 2023 | Incumbent | Luxon |