Minister for Education (Australia)

Minister for Education
Minister for Education
	Commonwealth Coat of Arms
	Flag of Australia
	Incumbent; Jason Clare; since 1 June 2022
	Department of Education (Australia)
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder	John Gorton (as Minister for Education and Science)
Formation	14 December 1966
Website	ministers.education.gov.au/clare

In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Education administers the Department of Education. The position is held by Labor MP Jason Clare, following the Australian federal election in 2022.^[1]

Portfolio scope

The Minister is responsible for a number of areas, including:^[2]

Education policy and programs including schools, vocational, higher education and Indigenous education, but excluding migrant adult education
Education and training transitions policy and programs
Science awareness programs in schools
Training, including apprenticeships and training services
Policy, co-ordination and support for education exports and services
Income support policies and programs for students and apprentices

List of ministers for education

The persons who have been Ministers for Education are as follows:^[3]

Order	Minister		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	John Gorton	Liberal	Menzies	Minister in charge of Commonwealth Activities in Education and Research under the Prime Minister	18 December 1963 (1963-12-18)	26 January 1966 (1966-01-26)	4 years, 23 days
			Holt		26 January 1966 (1966-01-26)	14 December 1966 (1966-12-14)
			Holt	Minister for Education and Science	14 December 1966 (1966-12-14)	19 December 1967 (1967-12-19)
			McEwen		19 December 1967 (1967-12-19)	10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)
			Gorton		10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)	28 February 1968 (1968-02-28)
2	Malcolm Fraser				28 February 1968 (1968-02-28)	12 November 1969 (1969-11-12)	1 year, 257 days
3	Nigel Bowen				12 November 1969 (1969-11-12)	10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)	3 years, 22 days
3	Nigel Bowen		McMahon		10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)	22 March 1971 (1971-03-22)	3 years, 22 days
4	David Fairbairn				22 March 1971 (1971-03-22)	20 August 1971 (1971-08-20)	151 days
acting	Malcolm Fraser				20 August 1971 (1971-08-20)	5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)	1 year, 107 days
5	Gough Whitlam¹	Labor	Whitlam		5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)	19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	14 days
6	Kim Beazley, Snr.	Labor	Whitlam	Minister for Education	19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	2 years, 327 days
7	Margaret Guilfoyle	Liberal	Fraser		11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	22 December 1975 (1975-12-22)	41 days
8	John Carrick				22 December 1975 (1975-12-22)	8 December 1979 (1979-12-08)	3 years, 351 days
9	Wal Fife				8 December 1979 (1979-12-08)	7 May 1982 (1982-05-07)	2 years, 150 days
10	Peter Baume				7 May 1982 (1982-05-07)	11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	308 days
11	Susan Ryan	Labor	Hawke	Minister for Education and Youth Affairs	11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	13 December 1984 (1984-12-13)	4 years, 135 days
11	Susan Ryan			Minister for Education	13 December 1984 (1984-12-13)	24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)	4 years, 135 days
12	John Dawkins			Minister for Employment, Education and Training	24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)	20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	4 years, 156 days
12	John Dawkins		Keating		20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	27 December 1991 (1991-12-27)	4 years, 156 days
13	Kim Beazley				27 December 1991 (1991-12-27)	23 December 1993 (1993-12-23)	1 year, 361 days
14	Simon Crean				23 December 1993 (1993-12-23)	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)	4 years, 75 days
15	Amanda Vanstone	Liberal	Howard	Minister for Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)	9 October 1997 (1997-10-09)	1 year, 212 days
16	David Kemp			Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs	9 October 1997 (1997-10-09)	26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)	4 years, 48 days
17	Brendan Nelson			Minister for Education, Science and Training	26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)	27 January 2006 (2006-01-27)	4 years, 62 days
18	Julie Bishop			Minister for Education, Science and Training	27 January 2006 (2006-01-27)	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	1 year, 310 days
19	Julia Gillard	Labor	Rudd	Minister for Education	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	24 June 2010	2 years, 207 days
19	Julia Gillard		Gillard		24 June 2010	28 June 2010 (2010-06-28)²	2 years, 207 days
n/a	Simon Crean				28 June 2010 (2010-06-28)	14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)	78 days
20	Peter Garrett			Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth	14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)	1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)	2 years, 290 days
21	Bill Shorten		Rudd	Minister for Education	1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	79 days
22	Christopher Pyne	Liberal	Abbott	Minister for Education	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	23 December 2014 (2014-12-23)	2 years, 3 days
			Abbott	Minister for Education and Training	23 December 2014 (2014-12-23)	15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)
			Turnbull		15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)	21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)
23	Simon Birmingham		Turnbull		21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)	24 August 2018 (2018-08-24)	2 years, 341 days
23	Simon Birmingham		Morrison		24 August 2018 (2018-08-24)	28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)	2 years, 341 days
24	Dan Tehan			Minister for Education	28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)	22 December 2020 (2020-12-22)	2 years, 116 days
25	Alan Tudge			Minister for Education and Youth	22 December 2020 (2020-12-22)	2 December 2021 (2021-12-02)^[a]	345 days
(acting)	Stuart Robert			Minister for Education and Youth	2 December 2021 (2021-12-02)	23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)	172 days
26	Jason Clare	Labor	Albanese	Minister for Education	1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	Incumbent	2 years, 201 days

Notes

¹ Whitlam was part of a two-man ministry comprising himself and Lance Barnard for fourteen days until the full ministry was commissioned.

² Despite the First Rudd Ministry ending on 24 June 2010, Gillard was Minister for Education for four days in her first ministry, between 24 June and 28 June 2010, when the revised ministry was commissioned.

List of ministers for early childhood education

The following individuals have been appointed as Ministers with various titles that have included the words "early childhood":^[3]

Order	Minister		Prime Minister	Ministerial title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Kate Ellis	Labor	Rudd	Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare and Youth	9 June 2009 (2009-06-09)	28 June 2010 (2010-06-28)	1 year, 19 days
2	Peter Garrett		Gillard	Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth	28 June 2010 (2010-06-28)	26 June 2013 (2013-06-26)	2 years, 363 days
(1)	Kate Ellis		Rudd	Minister for Early Childhood, Childcare and Youth	1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	79 days

3	Anne Aly	Labor	Albanese	Minister for Early Childhood Education	1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	Incumbent	2 years, 201 days

List of ministers for vocational education and skills

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Skills and Training, or any of its precedent titles:^[4]

Order	Minister		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Peter Baldwin	Labor	Hawke	Minister for Higher Education and Employment Services	7 May 1990 (1990-05-07)	20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	2 years, 321 days
1	Peter Baldwin		Keating	Minister for Higher Education and Employment Services	20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)	2 years, 321 days
2	Ross Free		Keating	Minister for Schools, Vocational Education and Training	24 March 1993	11 March 1996	3 years, 18 days
3	David Kemp	Liberal	Howard		11 March 1996	6 October 1997	1 year, 209 days
4	Chris Ellison	Liberal	Howard		6 October 1997	21 October 1998	1 year, 15 days

5	Gary Hardgrave	Liberal	Howard	Minister for Vocational and Technical Education	22 October 2004	23 January 2007	2 years, 93 days
6	Andrew Robb	Liberal	Howard	Minister for Vocational and Further Education	23 January 2007	3 December 2007	314 days

7	Chris Evans	Labor	Gillard	Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations	14 September 2010	14 December 2011	2 years, 172 days
7	Chris Evans			Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research	14 December 2011	2 February 2013	2 years, 172 days
8	Chris Bowen				2 February 2013	22 March 2013	48 days
9	Craig Emerson				25 March 2013	26 June 2013	93 days
10	Brendan O'Connor		Rudd	Minister for Skills and Training	1 July 2013	18 September 2013	79 days

11	Luke Hartsuyker	National	Turnbull	Minister for Vocational Education and Skills	21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)	18 February 2016 (2016-02-18)	150 days
12	Scott Ryan	Liberal	Turnbull	Minister for Vocational Education and Skills	18 February 2016 (2016-02-18)	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	152 days

13	Michaelia Cash	Liberal	Morrison	Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education	28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)	29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)	2 years, 214 days
13	Michaelia Cash			Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business	29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)	30 March 2021 (2021-03-30)	2 years, 214 days
14	Stuart Robert			Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business	30 March 2021 (2021-03-30)	23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)	1 year, 54 days
(10)	Brendan O'Connor	Labor	Albanese	Minister for Skills and Training	1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	29 July 2024 (2024-07-29)	2 years, 58 days
15	Andrew Giles	Labor	Albanese	Minister for Skills and Training	29 July 2024 (2024-07-29)	Incumbent	143 days

Former ministerial titles

List of ministers for higher education

The persons who have been Ministers for Higher Education are as follows:

Order	Minister		Prime Minister	Ministerial title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Peter Baldwin	Labor	Hawke	Minister for Higher Education and Employment Services	7 May 1990 (1990-05-07)	20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	2 years, 321 days
1	Peter Baldwin	Labor	Keating	Minister for Higher Education and Employment Services	20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)	2 years, 321 days

2	Sharon Bird	Labor	Gillard	Minister for Higher Education and Skills	25 March 2013 (2013-03-25)	1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)	98 days
3	Kim Carr	Labor	Rudd	Minister for Higher Education	1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	79 days

List of assistant ministers

The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Education and Training, or any of its precedent titles:^[3]

Order	Minister		Prime Minister	Ministerial title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Sussan Ley	Liberal	Abbott	Assistant Minister for Education	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	23 December 2014 (2014-12-23)	1 year, 96 days
2	Simon Birmingham		Abbott	Assistant Minister for Education and Training	23 December 2014 (2014-12-23)	15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)	272 days
2	Simon Birmingham		Turnbull	Assistant Minister for Education and Training	15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)	21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)	272 days

3	Anthony Chisholm	Labor	Albanese	Assistant Minister for Education	1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	Incumbent	2 years, 201 days

References

^ On leave from 2 December 2021. Officially resigned on 4 March 2022.

^ "Press Conference – Parliament House, Canberra | Prime Minister of Australia". pm.gov.au. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
^ "Administrative Arrangement Order" (PDF). Government of Australia. 3 December 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2007.(Part 6, p14)
^ ^a ^b ^c "Ministries and Cabinets". 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
^ "Ministries and Cabinets". 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2015.

External links

Official website

[name-4] On leave from 2 December 2021. Officially resigned on 4 March 2022.

[1] "Press Conference – Parliament House, Canberra | Prime Minister of Australia". pm.gov.au. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.

[2] "Administrative Arrangement Order" (PDF). Government of Australia. 3 December 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2007.(Part 6, p14)

[parl-3] "Ministries and Cabinets". 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2015.

[Minister_for_Skills_and_Training_(Australia)_parl-5] "Ministries and Cabinets". 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2015.

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