Mana MP Hekia Parata was appointed Education Minister today, one of the big winners in Prime Minister John Key's new line-up, moving up to 7^th in Cabinet ranking.

Ms Parata grew up in Ruatoria and is of Ngati Porou and Ngai Tahu descent.

Her education started with her parents as first teachers long before it became a recognised policy; early participation in Playcentre; on to Manutahi Maori Primary School; Ngata Memorial College (all Ruatoria-based); Gisborne Girls High School; University of Waikato where she completed an MA in Maori and NZ History; and two short executive level courses first at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University (having won the NZ Public Service Scholarship); then at Templeton College, Oxford University.

She came to Parliament after the General Election in November 2008.

Ms Parata has worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a posting to the NZ Embassy, Washington DC, Ministry for the Environment, the Prime Minister’s Advisory Group, the Housing Corporation of NZ, Te Puni Kokiri and short issue-based stints in the State Services Commission, Ministry of Health, and the Institute of Policy Studies at Victoria University of Wellington.

She has said in the past that early and continuing education had been the springboard for her professional choices, and “the basis of a profound belief in the power of successful education experiences to transform the lives of individuals, their families, their communities – and their nation”.

Ms Parata believes that the role of the Government is to create an environment of opportunity and choice, enterprise and growth; to provide high quality education and health services and law and order to protect people and their property, among other things.

In her maiden speech to Parliament in 2008, Ms Parata said she will “join the crusade for literacy and numeracy and for a good quality education for every New Zealand student. We must adopt an uncompromising attitude that failure is not an option”.

Ms Parata takes over the Education portfolio from Anne Tolley, who has had a difficult relationship with teaching groups over the implementation of national standards, and faces a tough time introducing charter schools this term.

She was the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Minister for Ethnic Affairs, the Acting Minister of Energy and Resources, and Associate Minister for ACC and for the Community and Voluntary Sector in the last government.

Ms Parata and partner Sir Wira Gardiner have two daughters.

See Also

• An article on early childhood education under a new national government, click here.
• An introduction to the new head of the Education Ministry, click here.
• Articles on political views, click here.
• Articles on the use of childcare and on problems/issues in the provision of early childhood education, click here.