Labour calls for investigation into $40m school science kit contract

The Labour Party wants the Auditor General to investigate a $40 million science kit contract saying it has serious concerns about both the tender process and a significant financial conflict of interest involved.

In February this year House of Science was confirmed as the supplier for the nationwide rollout of science and pūtaiao kits.

But the contract is now facing fresh scrutiny after documents released under Official Information Act showed House of Science repeatedly lobbied Education Minister Erica Stanford for funding for their science kits before the contract was awarded and sought updates from her office during the tender process.

Before the tender began House of Science chief executive Chris Duggan was also added to a group helping to write the science curriculum, on Stanford's recommendation, despite the Ministry noting she had a significant financial conflict of interest and stood to gain materially from being on it.

"She runs the House of Science – they provide science resources for schools – so she could directly benefit financially from being involved in this," an official wrote.

Labour's education spokesperson Ginny Andersen told 1News that despite the conflict the $40 million contract was still awarded.

"I will be writing to the Auditor General and asking for an inquiry in this, it is essential that New Zealanders understand how their taxpayers' money is being spent and there should be transparency and accountability from the minister here," Andersen said.

The documents show House of Science began lobbying the Education Minister for funding to roll out its boxes to schools nationwide soon after Stanford began in the role last 2023.

"House of Science is very keen to work with you and the Ministry of Education to support delivery of science resource kits across all schools in New Zealand," Duggan wrote to the minister in January 2024.

"Getting the details right is important too, and we would be keen to meet with you and your team to explore what an aligned and funded programme might look like."

Stanford told 1News this week she never responded to any of the lobbying.

"You will note that I don't respond to anything like that. I have nothing to do with Chris or her lobbying."

Stanford said she had never discussed contracts or funding with Duggan.

However, another document released under the OIA showed Duggan delivered a presentation to the minister in her office in March 2024, in which funding was again sought.

"A centrally funded model will provide long term assurance to teachers and help populate the STEM career pipeline so desperately needed.

"Secure funding will allow HoS to: Incrementally roll out the programme to every classroom, in every school, in every part of Aotearoa New Zealand."

The following year, Stanford successfully secured funding through Budget 2025 to roll out science kits.

"I said to the ministry, let's do a budget bid. Let's get the resources in place. You guys go out and find out who the best supplier is," she said.

The Ministry of Education told 1News that Duggan had disclosed her conflict of interest as founder of House of Science when she joined the science curriculum writing group, and it took steps to ensure she didn't get an unfair edge in the tender process.

"The Ministry undertook a robust and thorough process to make sure Ms Duggan did not have a competitive advantage through her membership on the curriculum writing group for the draft science learning area," the Ministry said in a statement.

It said nine organisations were involved in the tender.

"Ms Duggan’s potential conflict of interest relating to her involvement in the curriculum development process was declared within House of Science’s RFP response and managed throughout this procurement process.

"House of Science achieved the highest overall score in a robust evaluation process. House of Science was awarded the contract because it submitted the strongest proposal."

In a statement, Duggan said House of Science was a charitable trust, not a business, and she stood to make no personal financial gain from winning the contract.

"I am purely interested in equitable access to science for kids in our primary schools."

Duggan said she also took steps to ensure she did not gain an unfair advantage over competitors.

"I was careful to only refer to material that was available to all applicants. Any potential knowledge gained through being part of the writing group was not used in our submission."

She said she had repeatedly met with education ministers and opposition education spokespersons since House of Science was established in 2014.

"This includes Hon Hekia Parata, Hon Nikki Kaye, Hon Chris Hipkins, Hon Jan Tinetti, Hon Erica Stanford and Ginny Andersen."

However, independent academic Dr Claire Coleman, who was formerly a lead writer for the arts curriculum, also voiced concerns about the tender process.

The tender, which opened and closed in August 2025, sought a provider that could deliver a "rotational library suite of ready-made science/pūtaiao kits".

House of Science operated a model where kits were delivered to schools before being swapped out and refreshed with new material.

"You'll see the RFP (tender) is written very much towards the House of Science's box model that already existed so there are just a lot of questions."

She was also critical of Duggan's involvement in the curriculum writing group.

"The people that should be in charge of generating curriculum for the tamariki and rangatahi of Aotearoa should be people who are experts, academics, educators basing those assessments on research, not people who are looking to make money or have a vested commercial interest," she said.

"The resources should follow the curriculum, not the other way around."

Ministry of Education business operations general manager Antony Harvey said Duggan was well qualified for the role.

"Ms Duggan was appointed to the science curriculum contributing group because of her extensive experience developing curriculum-aligned science resources, her ongoing, strong connections with schools and teachers and the practical insights she could bring to science teaching and learning."