Local Government News

NZ PM appoints Jan Tinetti as Minister for Education

Eliza Sayon Feb 2, 2023

2 min read

In the latest changes within the NZ Government, former Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti has been appointed to the position of Minister for Education.

As NZ Prime Minister Chris Hipkins focuses his Cabinet on ‘bread and butter’ issues, such as the cost of living, education, health, housing and keeping communities and businesses safe, the Prime Minister appointed Jan Tinetti as he believed that she could address the challenges within the education sector.

“Jan Tinetti is uniquely placed to address the post-Covid challenges our education system has faced and to get our kids back into the classroom and learning,” he said, emphasizing that she was core to New Zealand’s success in the last few years.

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Prior to entering politics, Jan Tinetti she spent 20 years working as a principal across four schools in Southland and Tauranga. Aside from being a Tauranga-based Labour list MP and the Associate Education Minister, Tinetti was also previously an Internal Affairs Minister and Women’s Minister.

Aside from the position of Minister for Education, Tinetti also currently holds the Women and Child Poverty Reduction portfolios.

“I’m so excited to have this opportunity and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in,” Tinetti said.

“I’m hitting the ground running. I don’t want to sit back and wait for things to happen.”

Tinetti, believing that learning support is one of the most broken parts of NZ’s education system, revealed that she is already setting up meetings with key leaders such as former minister Jacinda Ardern to work out priorities and learn more about the education sectors she was less familiar with.

“We have to make sure education is equitable for all. I see that as a really big issue. I see attendance as an issue that’s started to rear its head over a long time,” she said.

“We need to put learners at the centre of any work we’ve got going forward.”

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According to the NZ Prime Minister, the recent flooding across Auckland has highlighted the need for government to focus on key issues that affect the day-to-day lives of New Zealanders.

Source: NZHerald. Content has been edited for style and length.

Eliza Sayon

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Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.