Teacher aide pay equity operational guidelines for schools
Guidance for schools on the implementation of the teacher aide pay equity settlement.
- Teacher aide pay equity settlement operational guidelines for schools [PDF, 1.7 MB]
- Summary of the operational guidelines for schools [PDF, 727 KB]
- Quick steps to implementation [PDF, 190 KB]
- New pay equity individual employment agreement for teacher aides [PDF, 204 KB]
1 Introduction
On 27 May 2020, the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) and NZEI Te Riu Roa settled the teacher aide pay equity claim (the claim). The claim covers the 22,000 teacher aides who work in state and state-integrated schools and kura in New Zealand.
The teacher aide pay equity settlement (the settlement) acknowledges the value of the skills, responsibilities and demands of teacher aide work, and ensures that value is being remunerated fairly.
NZEI Te Riu Roa, the New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) and the Ministry worked together to complete an 18-month investigation which found that teacher aides, who are mostly women, are being paid less than men for doing work that is different but of equal value.
The settlement is made up of new pay equity pay rates and increases in the Tiaki allowance (formally known as the dirty work allowance) to correct the sex-based undervaluation of remuneration identified during the investigation process. It also offers teacher aides easier access to professional learning and development (PLD) opportunities and more security around the hours they are employed.
The purpose of this document is to provide guidance on the implementation of the settlement.
It includes information about:
- what work is covered by the settlement
- how the settlement will be implemented
- how and when you will receive additional pay equity funding
- how teacher aides will automatically translate to the new pay equity scale
- the new work matrix, which describes the work done by teacher aides.
Case studies and examples are used throughout this guide to help you understand how to implement the settlement.
NZEI Te Riu Roa and NZSTA were consulted in the drafting of this document.
 |
For more information or if you have any questions, please refer to the Ministry of Education teacher aide pay equity settlement website or talk to your representatives from NZSTA. If you have general questions or feedback about the information, please email us TeacherAide.PayEquity@education.govt.nz |
This guide is a living document and may be updated as required. The Ministry will keep you fully advised of any revisions.
It is intended to help Boards of Trustees, school principals and school administrators with the implementation of the settlement.