▁ ▁Tal ent 2 ▁was ▁originally ▁awarded ▁the ▁mult im ill ion - d ollar ▁contract ▁by ▁the ▁Labour ▁Government ▁on ▁the ▁recommendation ▁of ▁Education ▁Minister ▁Tre vor ▁Mall ard ▁– ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁ren eg oti ated ▁twice ▁by ▁the ▁subsequent ▁National ▁Government . ▁Once ▁the ▁contract ▁was ▁signed , ▁Nov op ay ▁was ▁meant ▁to ▁go ▁live ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁but ▁the ▁company ▁missed ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁dead lines ▁which ▁delayed ▁the ▁roll out ▁by ▁more ▁than ▁two ▁years . ▁Al ong ▁the ▁way , ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Education ▁spent ▁$ 6 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁tri alling ▁the ▁system ▁before ▁it ▁was ▁rolled ▁out ▁nation ally . ▁More ▁than ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 3 1 ▁trial - users ▁felt ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁ready ▁for ▁the ▁system ▁to ▁go ▁live ▁but ▁the ▁Government ▁went ▁ahead ▁anyway . ▁ ▁The ▁system ▁was ▁last ▁tested ▁three ▁months ▁before ▁it ▁became ▁oper ational , ▁and ▁revealed ▁ 1 4 7 ▁software ▁defect s ▁and ▁made ▁ 6 0 0 0 ▁errors . ▁TV 3 ▁reported ▁that ▁Education ▁Minister ▁He k ia ▁Par ata , ▁Associ ate ▁Education ▁Minister ▁Craig ▁F oss ▁and ▁the ▁Minister ▁of ▁Fin ance ▁Bill ▁English ▁were ▁all ▁informed ▁about ▁the ▁' bug s ' ▁in ▁the ▁system ▁but ▁' signed ▁off ▁on ▁it ▁anyway '. ▁Four ▁independent ▁ag encies ▁– ▁Price water house ▁Co op ers , ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Social ▁Development , ▁the ▁Primary ▁Indust ries ▁Ministry ▁and ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁Transport