Clare, along with Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles, held onto their ministries in a reshuffled Albanese front bench that also includes newly appointed Early Childhood Education Minister, Jess Walsh.

AEU president Correna Haythorpe led the chorus of congratulators, and said that the next term of government has much to achieve for public education to ensure that a high quality preschool, school and TAFE education is accessible to all.

“With Minister Clare and Minister Giles keeping their respective … portfolios, the AEU is reassured that stability and strong leadership will allow the sectors to build on the foundational work already delivered by the Albanese Government,” Haythorpe said.

“We congratulate Minister Clare and Minister Giles on their reappointment and look forward to working with them on delivering on the Albanese Government’s commitments for public schools and for TAFE.”

Haythorpe said the AEU welcomes the appointment of Walsh to the Ministry in the Early Childhood Education and Care portfolio.

“On behalf of the AEU membership we pass on our sincere thanks to Minister Anne Aly for her outstanding contributions to Early Childhood Education and Care in the 47th Parliament and wish her well in her new portfolio.”

Aly, the first female parliamentarian of Islamic faith, has been promoted to cabinet in the Small Business, International Development and Multicultural Affairs portfolio.

NCEC executive director Jacinta Collins said Clare’s reappointment provides continuity of leadership for Australian education, and the Catholic education sector looks forward to continuing a productive partnership.

“We warmly congratulate Minister Clare on his re-election and reappointment, and thank the Labor Government for its ongoing support and commitment to ensuring every child in Australia has access to a high-quality education, no matter their background or location,” Collins said.

“We particularly value the Government’s recognition of the long-standing contribution Catholic education has made to Australian society over two centuries and its continued support for school choice, fair funding and sector-inclusive policy.”

Collins acknowledged the Government’s commitment to maintaining existing funding arrangements for non-government schools.

“These commitments are vital for the 820,000 students and their families in our 1751 Catholic schools across the country who choose a Catholic education for their children,” she said.

The NCEC also welcomed the Government’s support for sector-neutral policy development and its inclusion of Catholic education in key initiatives such as the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, Building the Early Education Fund, and student wellbeing programs.

Looking ahead, Collins said the Catholic sector is keen to continue discussions on critical priorities around teacher workforce, quality teaching and cost-of-living pressures on families.

ICA CEO Graham Catt said Clare’s reappointment brings valuable consistency to the portfolio at a time of ongoing policy reform and review across Australia’s education landscape.

“Key issues such as school funding stability, the implementation of the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, support for disadvantaged students, and improving outcomes across all sectors are still front of mind for Independent schools,” Catt said.

“This consistency in leadership provides welcome certainty for schools, families and students.”

Catt said ICA will continue to work with the Minister and his department on ensuring fair and sustainable funding for all students, regardless of school sector or postcode, addressing the timing and impacts of Capacity to Contribute (CTC) scores, advocating for targeted support for students with disability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boarding students, and supporting a national approach to school reform that values parental choice and sector diversity.

Writing in The Australian newspaper, meanwhile, education opinion writer Natasha Bita said Clare’s reappointment gives Clare, the Member for Blaxland, in Sydney’s south, the opportunity to “build on the foundations of his first-term reforms”.

She said education reforms “will be the building blocks” for PM Albanese’s election ‘rise in productivity’ pledge.

Bita explained that she believes the “education system is a handbrake on employment, innovation and economic growth” and that the pressure is on universities to produce teacher education graduates with the required skills to ensure children succeed in school.

“Unless Clare can choke off the supply of poorly trained teachers, the rest of his reforms will fail,” she said.

On the numbers as they sit, the new Labor party room will be 57 per cent women, representing a more than 40 per cent increase since the party first brought in affirmative action gender quotas in 1994.

However, despite being a majority female caucus, Labor only reached cabinet gender equity in January, when the prime minister promoted Queenslander Anika Wells, and men at present hold the senior leadership roles in the government - the prime minister, his deputy Richard Marles, senate deputy Don Farrell, leader of the house Tony Burke and his deputy Mark Butler. 

Walsh, a Victorian senator, is a welcome female promotion and an intriguing one, given 12 years ago, during her time as Victorian secretary of the United Voice union, she led childcare staff strikes in support of wage rises.

With her very different perspective now, many are watching on with interest to see how the former union powerhouse will approach her new portfolio.