The Board of NZCER consists of five elected members and one member appointed by the Minister of Education. The Board, as it sees fit, can co-opt up to three additional people to be members of the Council.

Board members are appointed for terms of 4 years. Every 2 years, two or three of the five elected Board members will complete their term. An electoral college, convened from across the education sector, nominates and elects NZCER Board members. Retiring members may stand for re-election.

The Board represents a wide cross section of education interests. It helps identify key educational issues and stakeholder needs and provides a strategic focus for NZCER.

The electoral college election rules and procedure

The NZCER Act 1972 sets out the membership of an electoral college, which is convened to elect Board members.

In determining the persons who are members of the electoral college, the Council—

(a)    must ensure that the electoral college—

   (i)   is broadly representative of groups and bodies concerned with the conduct of education or educational research in New Zealand; and

   (ii)   includes distinguished New Zealand educators; and

(b)    may determine that a member of the electoral college may be a person nominated by a named education group, body, or office holder to be its representative in the electoral college.

Election rules

Under section 33(1) of the NZCER Act 1972, the council (Board) makes rules prescribing the method of election of members of the council. Rules made under this section are secondary legislation and are subject to presentation and disallowance under the Legislation Act 2019. A copy of the rules is available below.

Rules for the conduct of elections of members of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research 2017

Resolved in February 2017, currently in force. 

Election procedure

The NZCER Act 1972 provides for a governing council of nine:
(a) One member appointed by the Minister of Education;
(b) Five elective members, appointed by the Council; and
(c) Three co-opted members.

Read the Guide to Election Procedure here.