AGY-567 | Department of Education and Training (1997-2011) / Department of Education and Communities (2011-2015) / Department of Education (2015- )

Full description

The Department of Education and Training (DET) was established on 3 December 1997, under the Public Sector Management (Department of Education and Training) Order 1997. The branches of the former Department of Training and Education Coordination and the Department of School Education were amalgamated to form the new department.(1)

In 1997 the functions of the Department of Education and Training were: 
. "improving the way vocational skills are developed in conjunction with the state’s community and further education services"
. "the coordination of appropriate education matters including higher education and non-government school issues, across the education and training portfolio". (2)

The Department comprised of the following divisions:
. Disability Issues Unit
. Employment Programs Unit
. Higher Education Unit
. Intervention Support Program
. NSW Migrant Skills and Qualifications Branch
. Policy and Executive Services
. Equity Policy
. Strategic Planning and Review
. Vocational Training Services Branch
. Youth Programs Unit
. Offices of the Department
. NSW Adult Migrant English Service
. NSW Migrant Skills and Qualifications Committee. (3)

From 1 July 2009 the Department of Education and Training became one of thirteen Principal Departments of the Public Service. The Department was responsible to the Minister for Education and Training. The Department's divisions included the Office of the Board of Studies and the Office of the Institute of Teachers. (4)

From 4 April 2011 the name of the Department of Education and Training was changed to the Department of Education and Communities (DEC) and it became one of nine Principal Departments of the Public Service. The Department was responsible to the Minister for Education, the Minister for Citizenship and Communities, the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and the Minister for Sport and Recreation. (5)

From 4 April 2011 the Office of Education and the Office of Sport, Recreation and Communities (later known as the Office of Communities) were established within the Department of Education and Communities. All branches removed from Communities NSW were added to the Department of Education and Communities. (6)

From 4 April 2011 the group of staff who were principally involved in the administration of Chapter 12 and 12A of the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (Act No.157, 1998) were removed from the Department of Human Services and added to the Department of Education and Communities. These staff administered the licensing of childcare services. (7)

On 24 February 2014 the Public Sector Employment and Management Act 2002 (Act No.43, 2002) was replaced by the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (Act No. 40, 2013). Under the Constitution Act 1902 (Act No.32, 1902) the Administrative Arrangements Order 2014 was issued to commence on 24 February 2014. The Order abolished all principal departments under the former act however they were re-established with the same name as Departments under Schedule 1 of the Government Sector Employment Act. For all purposes the re-established Department of Education and Communities was the successor and a continuation of the former principal Department. (8) The Government Sector Employment Act replaced the former position of Director General of the Department of Education and Communities with Secretary of the Department of Education and Communities. (9)

On 1 July 2015, the Administrative Arrangements Order (No 2) 2015, renamed the Department of Education and Communities to the Department of Education. The Office of Communities (except the Office of Aboriginal Affairs) was transferred from the Department of Education and Communities to the Department of Family and Community Services and State Training Services transferred to the Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development. (10)

In 2016 the Department was structured into 5 divisions: School Operations and Performance; External Affairs and Regulation; Aboriginal Affairs; Strategy and Evaluation; and Corporate Services. (11)

On 1 July 2019 Aboriginal Affairs NSW was transferred from the Department of Education to the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the persons employed in the Department of Industry who were principally involved in the administration of legislation allocated to the Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education (including the provision of support for the portfolio responsibilities of that Minister) were transferred back to the Department of Education. (12) These movements restructured the Department into 8 divisions: Education Futures and Governance; School Operations and Performance; Education Services; Skills and Higher Education; Corporate Services; People and Culture; School Infrastructure NSW; Strategy and Delivery. (13)

From 21 March 2021 the persons employed in the Department of Education who were principally involved in the administration of the Waratah Research Network were transferred to Investment NSW. (14)

Note
For a searchable database of schools controlled by the Department see Government Schools of New South Wales from 1848.

Endnotes
1. New South Wales Government Gazette No.134, 3 December 1997, p.9749.
2. New South Wales Government Directory website, Department of Education and Training.
3. ibid.
4. Public Sector Employment and Management (Departmental Amalgamations) Order 2009 (2009 No 352) cls. 2, 4; notified on NSW Legislation website, 27 July 2009.
5. Public Sector Employment and Management (Departments) Order 2011 (2001 No 184) cl. 24; notified on NSW Legislation website, 3 April 2011.
6. Ibid. cl. 27.
7. Ibid. cl. 26.
8. Administrative Arrangements Order 2014 (2014 No 11), cls.4 (amending Schedule 1 to Government Sector Employment Act), 7(2), 11(1); notified NSW Legislation Website (2014 No 11), 29 January 2014.
9. Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (Act No.40, 2013), s.23.
10. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Public Service Agencies) Order (No 2) 2015, s.8 and s.10; notified NSW Legislation Website (2015 No 250), 29 May 2015.
11. Department of Education, Annual Report 2016, p.7.
12. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Public Service Agencies) Order 2019 (2019 No 159), cl.16, cl.29.; notified on NSW Legislation website, 2 April 2019.
13. Department of Education, Annual Report 2019, p.103.
14. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Miscellaneous) Order 2021 (2021 No 147), cl.11; notified on NSW Legislation website, 26 March 2021.