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Ministry of Education New Zealand

Who is covered by the collective agreement

Primary teachers covered by the agreements are:

  • employed in state or state-integrated schools and kura
  • members of the primary teachers’ union, New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa (NZEI Te Riu Roa).

Download the Primary Teachers' Collective Agreement (PTCA).

pdf thumbnailPrimary Teachers' Collective Agreement
DownloadPDF1.1MB

Who is covered by an individual employment agreement

Individual employment agreements (IEAs) are developed and published by us. The terms and conditions are similar to the collective agreement.

You need to sign an IEA if:

  • your work is covered by the PTCA, but
  • you are not a member of the NZEI Te Riu Roa

See each type of IEA for primary teachers:

pdf thumbnailPrimary school teachers' IEA
DownloadPDF162KB
pdf thumbnailLong-term reliever primary teacher IEA
DownloadPDF225KB
pdf thumbnailCasual employment primary school teachers - short-term relief IEA
DownloadPDF109KB

Pay and allowances

The amount you can be paid as a teacher depends on your qualifications, experience and whether you qualify for any units or allowances.

Pay, allowances and classroom release time for primary school teachers are set out in part 3 of the collective agreement.

Staffing incentive and priority teacher supply allowances

The allowances apply to teachers employed in schools or kura identified by us as needing additional support for recruitment and retention.

pdf thumbnailStaffing incentive allowance - eligible schools
DownloadPDF118KB
pdf thumbnailPriority teacher supply allowance - eligible primary schools
DownloadPDF148KB

Isolation allowance

Primary school teachers are entitled to an isolation allowance if they are employed at a school or kura in a location deemed isolated.

The rate of the allowance will vary depending on the location. Part-time teachers will receive the allowance on a pro-rata basis.

See the list of eligible primary schools.

pdf thumbnailIsolation allowance - eligible primary schools
DownloadPDF120KB

Schools that are eligible for the above allowances may be changed by us up to once a year, after consultation with employee representatives. 

For more information, contact us. 
Email: [email protected]

Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu teachers

Te Kura teachers have special employment conditions and allowances. These are in part 8 of the collective agreement.

More information

EdPay has more information about salaries, allowances and other payments for primary teachers.

A-Z of payroll – Education Payroll

Moving costs

If you are moving to work at another school, you may be entitled to removal expenses. This is in part 6 of the collective agreement.

To apply for a lump sum payment or reimbursement of other expenses, complete the following forms.

xls thumbnailTransfer and removal expenses form
DownloadXLS79KB
xls thumbnailAccommodation and property expenses claim form
DownloadXLS81KB

Leave

Leave entitlements are set out in part 4 of the collective agreement.

Resignation, dismissal and retirement

Both you and your school must follow the correct processes and procedures to manage your resignation, dismissal or retirement.

This is set out in parts 2 and 10 of the collective agreement.

Changes to the Primary Teachers' Collective Agreement

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