The Ministry of Education has extended the contract of Innovation Unit Australia/New Zealand for education reform and school redesign efforts, at a cost to the taxpayer of more than $2.5 million.

The figure significantly exceeds previous approximately one-year contracts, and brings the total amount paid to the company to $8,394,702.

According to a government notice in the Official Gazette, the overseas company was awarded $2,525,748 for the contract that runs from January 15 to December 31.

The work to be carried out is listed as “education reform and school redesign”.

There appear to be no contract details on the online government notice board for the period from September 30, 2024, up to the present contract.

The last contract reported in the Official Gazette ran from November 22, 2023, up until September 30, 2024, at a cost of $1,887,452.

The November 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023, contract was $1,868,654, and an original contract for the period March 23, 2020, to September 30, 2022, was valued at $2,112,848.

The Progressive Labour Party said in its latest election platform that it was committed to “transitioning away from overseas consultants to accelerate the growth of sustainable, home-grown leadership in education reform”.

David Burt, the Premier, said in a previous interview with The Royal Gazette: “IU is going to be needed for the near future but the platform speaks to the fact we have to develop our own home-grown talent.”

Innovation Unit was hired in 2020 to help implement education reform and to redesign Bermuda’s public schools.

When its involvement was announced by Diallo Rabain, the education minister at the time, he said the consultancy would begin at the end of March 2020 and extend until September 2022 at a cost of $2.1 million, revised from an original estimate of $950,000.

The most recent notice in the Official Gazette listed a contract for a further $100,000 to Michael J. Hollis for the period January 13 to June 30 for “education reform consultant services, and physical plant and development”.

It showed $114,000 contracted to Shana Williams for the period June 3, 2024, to July 2, 2025. She too is described as an education reform consultant, along with roles in data and metrics and project management.

The Ministry of Education has been approached for comment.