Department of Education (New Zealand)

The New Zealand Department of Education was, prior to 1989, the public service department of the New Zealand Government that was responsible for pre-tertiary education.

The Department was established in its initial form in 1877 under the Education Act 1877.

In 1989 it was replaced by a decentralised Ministry of Education under the Tomorrow's Schools reforms that were initiated in response to the Picot task force report of May 1988. Some of its functions were moved to separate agencies such as Learning Media Limited (1992) and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (1993).