Chris Duggan

Chris trained as a Biochemist at Massey University and taught secondary school science, biology and chemistry for 15 years in the Bay of Plenty. Throughout her teaching career Chris had a growing sense of concern about the lack of science knowledge students had when arriving at high school. When she read an Education Review Office report in 2013 that stated over 70% of NZ’s primary and intermediate schools lack an effective science programme, she decided something needed to be done. She left her middle management and teaching role mid 2013 and the rest—as they say—is history. Chris now leads a growing team that has found a way to get great science into primary classrooms on a regular basis. They develop bi-lingual science resource kits (in te reo M ? ori and English), assemble these kits to send all over the country, train new staff and support teachers through a comprehensive professional development programme.