Ministerial Reference Group

On this page:

Ministerial Reference Group

On 1 May 2023, Minister Clare announced the members of the National School Reform Agreement Ministerial Reference Group. You can read the Media Release here.

The Group convened for two meetings in 2023 on 7 July and 6 October.

The Group, chaired by Minister Clare and consisting of teachers, principals, students, parent organisations, education unions, and other education experts and stakeholders, acted as a sounding board and source of advice to the Expert Panel.

Members of the Ministerial Reference Group include:

MRG Members

  • Dianne Giblin AM – CEO, Australian Council of State School Organisations
  • Jenny Branch-Allen – President, Australian Parents Council
  • Andrea Obeyesekere – Chair, Catholic School Parents Australia
  • Alana Moller – Federal President, Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association
  • Andrew Pierpoint – President, Australian Secondary Principals' Council
  • Andy Mison - President, Australian Secondary Principals Council
  • Angela Falkenberg – President, Australian Primary Principals’ Association
  • Diane Joseph – Board Chair, Education Services Australia
  • Emeritus Professor Colleen Hayward – Deputy Chair, Australian Education Research Organisation
  • Dr Michele Bruniges – Chair, Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership
  • Matthew Johnson – National President, Australian Special Education Principals’ Association
  • Anne Keary – President, Australian Council of TESOL Associations
  • Emeritus Professor Chris Davison - President, Australian Council of TESOL Associations
  • Correna Haythorpe – President, Australian Education Union
  • Kevin Bates – Secretary, Australian Education Union
  • Meredith Peace – Deputy President, Australian Education Union
  • Brad Hayes – Federal Secretary, Independent Education Union
  • The Hon Jacinta Collins – Executive Director, National Catholic Education Commission
  • Graham Catt – CEO, Independent Schools Australia
  • Doug Taylor – CEO, The Smith Family
  • Travers McLeod – Executive Director, Brotherhood of St. Laurence
  • Professor Linda Graham – Director, QUT Centre for Inclusive Education
  • David Bromhead – Director, Wellbeing EDvantage
  • Professor Maree Teesson AC – Centre Director, The Matilda Centre – University of Sydney
  • Dr Rory Gallagher – Managing Director, Australia and Asia-Pacific, Behavioural Insights
  • Professor David Halpern CBE – President and Founding Director, Behavioural Insights
  • Skye Kakoschke-Moore – CEO, Children and Young People with Disability Australia
  • Hayley McQuire – CEO, National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition
  • Christopher Wardlaw PSM OLY – Deputy Chair, Non-Executive Director AITSL
  • Natalie Howson – Chair, ACT Teacher Quality Institute
  • Professor Alan Reid AM – Professor Emeritus at the University of South Australia
  • Adjunct Professor Susan Pascoe AM – Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Australia and Chair of the Australian Council for International Development
  • Robyn Evans – President, NSW Primary Principals Association
  • Valerie Gould – Former Executive Director, Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia
  • Professor Ruth Wallace – Dean of College of Indigenous Futures, Arts and Society, and Director of the Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University
  • Dr Regan Neumann – former Assistant Director-General, Queensland Department of Education, and former school principal in Queensland metropolitan and regional state schools
  • Dr Sally Milbourne – Former President of Tasmanian Principals Association
  • Derek Scott – Chair, Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
  • Mark Grant PSM – CEO, Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership
  • The Hon Fiona Nash – Regional Education Commissioner
  • Associate Professor Jae Jung – Director, GERRIC – University of New South Wales
  • Karen Batt – Federal Secretary, CPSU State Public Service Federation
  • John Saunders – President, Australian Alliance of Associations in Education
  • Cheryl Brennan – President, Australian Professional Teachers Association

Teacher representatives:

  • Nerina Bridges – Assistant Principal Curriculum and Instruction, Samuel Terry Public School (NSW)
  • Rachael Gore – Leading Teacher, Numeracy- Albert Park College (VIC)
  • Louise Nicholls – Senior Classroom teacher- Crestmead State School (QLD)
  • Leila Bothams – Principal, Canning College (WA)
  • Lara Golding – Secondary school teacher, Marryatville High School (SA)
  • Erin Quinn Quirke – Teacher and Strategic Program Manager at NT Government (NT)
  • John Bennett – Assistant Principal, Junior School Kingston High School (TAS)
  • Nick Maniatis – English Teacher, UC High School Kaleen (ACT)
  • Chris Graham – Teacher, Aitken College (VIC, ISA)
  • Kate Rayment – Principal, St Scholastica’s College (NSW, NCEC)

Students representatives:

  • Phoebe Little - Oxley High School (NSW)
  • Grace Boehnke – Dromana Secondary College (VIC)
  • Ellis Loodewijk – Fortitude Valley State Secondary College (QLD)
  • Kele Readhead – Perth Modern School (WA)
  • Elliot Alcock – Marden Senior College (SA)
  • Suraya Van Beelen – Nhulunbuy High School (NT)
  • Tahalianna Soward-Mahanga – Erindale College (ACT)
  • Anthony Audino – Aitken College (ISA, VIC)
  • Eleonora Speyer – St Scholastica's College (NSW, NCEC)