The New South Wales, Australia Department of Education
and Training is a Department of the New South Wales Government which has the
responsibility of primary school, secondary schools, and Technical and Further
Education (TAFE) schools. The New South Wales Department of Education and Training oversees
the provision of pre-school, adult, migrant, and higher education. The Department of Education in New South Wales reports to the Minister of Education and
Training.
As of 2010, the position of Minister of Education and Training has been held by
Verity Firth. The Australian Labor Party has filled the position of the head of
the Department of Education and Training for fifteen years. The New South Wales Department
of Education is led by Director-General Michael Coutts Trotter.
The Department of Education in New South Wales has a budget of more that eight billion
Australian dollars. The Department of Education in New South Wales deals with more than 2,000 schools and 130 campuses for Technical and Further
Education schools. The total enrollment in the New South Wales Department of Education
schools is nearly one million students. Funding for the Department of Education
and Training represents around 25 percent of the of the State of New South Wales’ total budget each year.
Since the Department of Education and Training was established, the head of the Department has had several different titles, including Chairman of the Board of
National Education, President of the Council of Education, Minister for Public
Instruction, Minister for Education, Minister for Education and Youth Affairs, Minister for Education, Youth Affairs, Employment and Training, and Minister
for Education, Training and Youth Affairs, before finally being known as Minister
for Education and Training since 1995.
