Helen May

Helen May (born Helen May Bradwell on 25 February 1947; from 1968 to 1983 known as Helen Cook or sometimes Helen May Cook) is a New Zealand education pioneer. She has been an eloquent activist and academic in education, with a strong feminist focus on early childhood education. Her advocacy has been characterised by its focus on the rights and needs of children and teachers, expressed by an active and collaborative engagement with educational institutions, trade unions, the Ministry of Education and other government agencies.

During her career she has taken on the roles of a schoolteacher of children aged 5–7, childcare worker, teachers' college and university lecturer, and professor and dean of education.

She is the author of numerous books, mainly on historical and political aspects of early years teaching. Since 2017 she has been an Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Otago and adjunct professor at Victoria University of Wellington.