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Board

The NZCER Board

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. 

Board members

Professor John O'Neill

Head of Institute, Institute of Education Te Kura o Te Mātauranga, Massey University Te Kunenga Ki Pūrehuroa, NZCER Board Chairperson

John has taught and researched at Massey University since he emigrated from the UK in 1994. Since 2006, he has held the position of Professor of Teacher Education, with research interests in the relationship between education policy and teachers’ professional work and learning, applied professional ethics and teaching and learning in everyday settings.

Professor Bronwen Cowie

Associate Dean Research, Education Division

The University of Waikato, New Zealand

Professor Graeme Aitken

Director of Educational Initiatives, Office of the Vice Chancellor, University of Auckland

Graeme Aitken is Professor of Education and Director of Educational Initiatives at the University of Auckland where he chairs the university's Academic External Review panels and contributes to university teaching and learning projects.  He is a trustee of two charitable organisations - I Have A Dream and the Education Hub – and is a Board of Trustee member of the Hobsonville Point schools.

Dr. Jodie Hunter

Senior Lecturer, Institute of Education, Massey University

Dr Jodie Hunter is currently a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics and Pasifika education, Massey University. She is passionate about developing culturally responsive teaching for Pasifika students in mathematics classrooms and co-leads a professional learning and development research project entitled “Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities”. This work involves working closely with schools and in classrooms with teachers to support a shift in pedagogical practices to better serve the diverse learners that comprise classrooms.

Malakai Koloamatangi

Manager, Research and Insights, Ministry of Pacific Peoples

Malakai is of Tongan descent. He has held a range of academic and management positions, including Associate Professor Pacific Politics at Massey University; Director, Pasifika Directorate, Massey University, and Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Acting), Office of the Assistant Vice-Chancellor Māori and Pasifika, Massey University. In addition, Malakai has served on a range of advisory boards and is currently Chair of the NZQA Taupulega, the Pacific Advisory Board for NZQA.

Martin Zuba

Chartered Accountant and Partner (retired) at Ernst & Young

Martin is a Chartered Accountant (NZ) with over 28 years of professional services firm experience with EY, primarily in audit, risk and advisory services, 23 years of which have been in Central and Western Europe, the remainder in NZ and Canada.

Martin has over 10 years of Board level and Regulatory body experience actively working with, reporting to and in attending Financial Audit Steering Committees, Audit Committees, Board of Directors, and Supervisory Board meetings of a number of Central Europe’s largest institutions.

Professor Melinda Webber

Te Tumu – Deputy Dean, Te Kura Akoranga me te Tauwhiro Tangata, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Melinda is of Ngāti Hau, Ngāti Kahu, and Ngāti Whakaue descent. 

Melinda teaches and researches at the Faculty of Education and Social Work at The University of Auckland. She leads a number of research projects focused on better understanding the effects of Māori student motivation and academic engagement, culturally sustaining teaching, localised curricula, and enduring school-family-community partnerships for learning.

Arihia Stirling

Teacher and Principal, Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tupawae
Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Whātua

Arihia Stirling QSM is a teacher & the principal of Te Kura Maori o Nga Tapuwae in Mangere East, a Maori Immersion school she has led for the last 26 years.

She has been on numerous leadership & advisory groups regionally, nationally & internationally, to ensure that Kaupapa Māori Education gets wide attention. 

Bruce Jepsen

Principal, Te Akau ki Pāpāmoa School
Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Raukawa

Bruce is a deeply experienced principal in Aotearoa, who has served as a mentor, guide and professional development provider for other tumuaki for many years.