 Early in his career, while he was a primary school teacher in Wellington, Ramsay became active in the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI), and from 1968 to 1970 he was the first curriculum officer of the NZEI.Between 1970 and 1974, he served on the NZEI's Waikato branch committee, and was a member of the national executive between 1975 and 1981.Between 1987 and 1988, Ramsay was a member of the Picot task force, established by the New Zealand government to examine the school system with a mandate to examine management structures and cost-effectiveness.