Source: Radio New Zealand
Chair of Teaching Council, David Ferguson Supplied – David Ferguson
The New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) and the Council of Deans of Education say messages obtained under the Official Information Act show a conflict of interest between the head of the Teaching Council, David Ferguson and Education Minister Erica Stanford.
The messages show Ferguson asked Stanford for advice and support about government funding for a teacher training institute he was helping set up before Stanford appointed him to the council.
They included Ferguson thanking the minister after the Teachers Institute, an organisation founded by several Auckland schools to provide in-school teacher education, received confirmation of the government funding it would receive in 2025.
Stanford’s office told RNZ she did not provide any ministerial assistance and Ferguson said he had sought clarification about funding.
The Educational Institute Te Riu Roa, obtained the messages and provided RNZ with a copy.
Most were texts sent in 2024 when Ferguson was principal of Westlake Boys’ High School but involved in setting up the Teachers’ Institute.
Ferguson formally took up his role as chief executive of the institute in 2025 and Stanford appointed him to the Teaching Council in July that year, initially as deputy chair but with the understanding he would chair the council from late August 2025.
The messages showed Ferguson asked for meetings and phone conversations with the minister about school onsite teacher training and advice or support related to the institute’s bid for tertiary education subsidies.
The messages were first published online by Brie Elliot, a student who made frequent social media posts critical of the government.
She told RNZ she asked the Ombudsman to investigate.
Elliott said the messages combined with a recent investigation into the handling of conflicts of interest at the Teaching Council and the council’s decision to appoint one of its members as interim chief executive raised concerns about preferential access to ministers and the council’s independence.
NZEI national secretary Stephanie Mills said the documents showed Ferguson received personal support from Stanford for successful bids for government funding for a private tertiary institute.
“The Minister then appointed him as chair of the Teaching Council, which has responsibility for approving teacher training programmes. Together with her proposed legislative changes in the Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill currently before Parliament, this raises significant questions about the Minister’s management of potential conflicts of interest and risks eroding trust in her judgement,” Mills said.
The Council of Deans of Education, which represented the leaders of university teacher education programmes, said the messages indicated a conflict of interest that the minister must explain.
“Ms Stanford has some explaining to do about how a private teacher education provider came to have such a ‘cosy’ relationship with the Minister in setting up their business”, the council’s Chair, Professor Joce Nuttall said.
“This appalling conflict of interest is even more shocking given that Mr Ferguson is now Chair of the Teaching Council, the very body that approves the Teaching Institute’s programmes.”
In a statement, Ferguson told RNZ he contacted Stanford to seek clarity on funding for initial teacher education providers.
“I had committed to leading a new ITE provider; staff had been employed and students enrolled for January 2025. The ITE provider is a charitable trust; certainty of funding was important. The Minister was unable to provide clarification. Later, I followed up as a courtesy to let her know the situation was resolved,” he said.
Stanford’s office said in a statement she did not help the institute get additional funding.
“No, the Minister did not help with securing any additional support or funding for the Teachers’ Institute, and did not provide any ministerial assistance.
“David Ferguson sent a text message about TEC funding to the Minister – in a phone call, she explained she was not aware of how TEC funding worked and would have to seek more information. The Minister had a brief conversation with Hon Penny Simmonds about how, in general, TEC funding works, and overall timeframes. The Teachers’ Institute and David Ferguson were not discussed. The Minister did not call or contact Ferguson again regarding this.”
What the messages say
On 2 May 2024 Ferguson sent a text message to Stanford asking for a five-minute phone conversation about the institute’s new school-based teacher training programme.
“A conversation with you would potentially save us an enormous amount of time and energy,” he wrote.
Stanford responded early the next day suggesting a call later that morning.
On 23 May 2024 Stanford asked Ferguson in a text: “Do you have the figures on how oversubscribed the in service teacher training program was this year?”
Ferguson responded on 24 May: “We had 100 places available this year. Impossible to say how many we turned down without asking all schools but conservatively at least 120. Obviously many of these would be because schools felt they weren’t in an area where they were needed or possibly they had concerns about suitability.”
Later that month Stanford offered to put Ferguson in touch with news media including RNZ following her announcement of extra funding for school-based teacher education programmes.
Ferguson next contacted Stanford on 18 July 2024.
“Hello Erica. Hope you’re good. Would it be possible to speak to you or someone from your office at some point this week or early next week please? I had a meeting with the ministry yesterday regarding school onsite teacher training yesterday and wanted to check a couple of things with you,” he wrote.
The minister responded: “How’s now?”
On 30 October 2024 Ferguson messaged Stanford for help with its application for funding from the Tertiary Education Commission.
“The big thing now is TEC funding which is worth $750k to us. We won’t hear the outcome there until late November. I’ve been in touch with Tim Fowler. Any advice or support would be welcomed.”
Stanford responded on 1 November asking Ferguson to call her over the weekend.
On 8 November 2024 Ferguson wrote: “Morning Erica. I wondered if you’d managed to speak to Penny Simmonds about TEC funding for us.”
On 15 November he messaged: “Morning Erica. TEC funding confirmed yesterday, thank you.”
13 March 2025 Ferguson told RNZ the institute had more interest from potential students than it was being funded for.
“…. The only handbrake to us making the progress we are capable of is the ministry not giving us the funding we need. It would be a shame if we got to the stage of turning great people away who really wanted to be teachers… I’m not asking for anything – I just wanted to let you know that we’ve made a good start start.”
He provided an update on the number of schools involved and inquiries from potential students on 4 April 2025.
“We’re aiming for 150 (100 secondary and 50 primary). Hopefully the Ministry will support us with the requisite funding,” Ferguson wrote.
On 8 April 2025 Ferguson requested a five-minute conversation about the institute and its future in 2026 and on 22 May 2025 he thanked Stanford for a Budget day funding boost for school-based teacher education programmes generally.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand