Minister of Education and Children's Affairs (Iceland)

The Minister of Education and Children's Affairs (Icelandic: Mennta- og menningarmálaráðherra) is the head of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. The current Minister of Education and Children's Affairs is Ásthildur Lóa Þórsdóttir.^[1]

List of ministers

Minister of Education (16 December 1942 – 1 January 1970)

Nº		Took office	Left office	Duration	Party	Cabinet
1	Einar Arnórsson (1880–1955)	16 December 1942	21 September 1944	1 year, 9 months, 5 days (645 days)	IP	Björn Þórðarson
2	Björn Þórðarson (1879–1963)	21 September 1944	21 October 1944	1 month (30 days)	N/A	Björn Þórðarson
3	Brynjólfur Bjarnason (1898–1989)	21 October 1944	4 February 1947	2 years, 3 months, 14 days (836 days)	PUP	Ólafur Thors II
4	Eysteinn Jónsson (1906–1993)	4 February 1947	6 December 1949	2 years, 10 months, 2 days (1,036 days)	PP	Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson
5	Bjarni Benediktsson (1908–1970)	6 December 1949	14 March 1950	3 months, 8 days (98 days)	IP	Ólafur Thors III
6	Björn Ólafsson (1895–1974)	14 March 1950	11 September 1953	3 years, 5 months, 28 days (1,277 days)	IP	Steingrímur Steinþórsson
(5)	Bjarni Benediktsson (1908–1970)	11 September 1953	24 July 1956	2 years, 10 months, 13 days (1047 days)	IP	Ólafur Thors IV
7	Gylfi Þorsteinsson Gíslason (1917–2004)	24 July 1956	—	—	SDP	Hermann Jónasson V
						Emil Jónsson
						Ólafur Thors V
						Bjarni Benediktsson

Minister of Education, Science and Culture (1 January 1970 – 28 November 2021)

The Cabinet of Iceland Act no. 73/1969, which had been passed by the parliament 28 May 1969, took effect on 1 January 1970. Thus the Cabinet was formally established along with its ministries which had up until then not formally existed separately from the ministers.^[2]

Nº		Took office	Left office	Duration	Party	Cabinet
(7)	Gylfi Þorsteinsson Gíslason (1917–2004)	—	14 July 1971	14 years, 11 months, 20 days (5,468 days)	SDP	Bjarni Benediktsson
(7)	Gylfi Þorsteinsson Gíslason (1917–2004)	—	14 July 1971	14 years, 11 months, 20 days (5,468 days)	SDP	Jóhann Hafstein
8	Magnús Torfi Ólafsson (1923–1998)	14 July 1971	28 August 1974	3 years, 1 month, 14 days (1,141 days)	ULL	Ólafur Jóhannesson I
9	Vilhjálmur Hjálmarsson (1914–2014)	28 August 1974	1 September 1978	4 years, 4 days (1,465 days)	PP	Geir Hallgrímsson
10	Ragnar Arnalds (1938–2022)	1 September 1978	15 October 1979	1 year, 1 month, 14 days (409 days)	PA	Ólafur Jóhannesson II
11	Vilmundur Gylfason (1948–1983)	15 October 1979	8 February 1980	3 months, 24 days (116 days)	SDP	Benedikt Gröndal
12	Ingvar Gíslason (1926–2022)	8 February 1980	26 May 1983	3 years, 3 months, 18 days (1,203 days)	PP	Gunnar Thoroddsen
13	Ragnhildur Helgadóttir (1930–2016)	26 May 1983	16 October 1985	2 years, 4 months, 20 days (874 days)	IP	Steingrímur Hermannsson I
14	Sverrir Hermannsson (1930–2018)	16 October 1985	8 July 1987	1 year, 8 months, 22 days (630 days)	IP	Steingrímur Hermannsson I
15	Birgir Ísleifur Gunnarsson (1936–2019)	8 July 1987	28 September 1988	1 year, 2 months, 20 days (448 days)	IP	Þorsteinn Pálsson
16	Svavar Gestsson (1944–2021)	28 September 1988	30 April 1991	2 years, 7 months, 2 days (944 days)	PA	Steingrímur Hermannsson II
16	Svavar Gestsson (1944–2021)	28 September 1988	30 April 1991	2 years, 7 months, 2 days (944 days)	PA	Steingrímur Hermannsson III
17	Ólafur Garðar Einarsson (1932–2023)	30 April 1991	23 April 1995	3 years, 11 months, 24 days (1,454 days)	IP	Davíð Oddsson I
18	Björn Bjarnason (1944–)	23 April 1995	2 March 2002	6 years, 10 months, 7 days (2,505 days)	IP	Davíð Oddsson II
18	Björn Bjarnason (1944–)	23 April 1995	2 March 2002	6 years, 10 months, 7 days (2,505 days)	IP	Davíð Oddsson III
19	Tómas Ingi Olrich (1943–)	2 March 2002	31 December 2003	1 year, 9 months, 29 days (669 days)	IP	Davíð Oddsson III
19	Tómas Ingi Olrich (1943–)	2 March 2002	31 December 2003	1 year, 9 months, 29 days (669 days)	IP	Davíð Oddsson IV
20	Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir (1965–)	31 December 2003	1 February 2009	5 years, 1 month, 1 day (1,859 days)	IP	Davíð Oddsson IV
						Halldór Ásgrímsson
						Geir Haarde I
						Geir Haarde II
21	Katrín Jakobsdóttir (1976–)	1 February 2009	23 May 2013	4 years, 3 months, 22 days (1,572 days)	LG	Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir I
21	Katrín Jakobsdóttir (1976–)	1 February 2009	23 May 2013	4 years, 3 months, 22 days (1,572 days)	LG	Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir II
22	Illugi Gunnarsson (1967–)	23 May 2013	30 November 2017	3 years, 7 months, 19 days (1,329 days)	IP	Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson
22	Illugi Gunnarsson (1967–)	23 May 2013	30 November 2017	3 years, 7 months, 19 days (1,329 days)	IP	Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson
23	Kristján Þór Júlíusson (1957–)	11 January 2017	30 November 2017	10 months, 19 day (323 days)	IP	Bjarni Benediktsson
24	Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir (1973–)	30 November 2017	28 November 2021	3 years, 11 months, 29 days (1459 days)	PP	Katrín Jakobsdóttir I

Minister of Education and Children's Affairs (28 November 2021 – present)

Nº		Took office	Left office	Duration	Party	Cabinet
25	Ásmundur Einar Daðason (1982–)	28 November 2021	21 December 2024	3 years, 23 days (1119 days)	PP	Katrín Jakobsdóttir II
25	Ásmundur Einar Daðason (1982–)	28 November 2021	21 December 2024	3 years, 23 days (1119 days)	PP	Bjarni Benediktsson II
26	Ásthildur Lóa Þórsdóttir (1966–)	21 December 2024	Incumbent	5 days (5 days)	PP	Kristrún Frostadóttir

References

^ "Minister of Education and Children's Affairs". Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
^ "Frumvarp til laga um Stjórnarráð Íslands" [Bill regarding the Cabinet of Iceland.] (PDF). Legal Code (in Icelandic). Parliament of Iceland. Retrieved 13 November 2012.

External links

Official website (in English)
Official website (in Icelandic)

[1] "Minister of Education and Children's Affairs". Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. Retrieved 25 December 2024.

[2] "Frumvarp til laga um Stjórnarráð Íslands" [Bill regarding the Cabinet of Iceland.] (PDF). Legal Code (in Icelandic). Parliament of Iceland. Retrieved 13 November 2012.

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