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. 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==