About the Waha Rumaki allowance#

The purpose of the Waha Rumaki allowance is to:

• give practical recognition to te reo Māori as a taonga to be actively protected under Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• recognise the additional skills certificated kaiako | teachers in education and care services must have to teach the curriculum in te reo Māori
• support language-based education and care services (puna reo) to recognise, retain and attract certificated kaiako with the additional language skills they require.

Our name, Waha Rumaki#

The name Waha Rumaki was given by Ngā Puna Reo o Aotearoa to us.

Waha means to carry or to uplift, to raise up. It is also a person's mouth, voice, and the action of speaking.

Rumaki means to immerse or be immersed. It also means to plant (sowing te reo Māori).

Waha is both a noun and a verb.

• Noun – waha is the person who carries or uplifts te reo Māori. That person is the waha that carries or maintains the rumaki.
• Verb – waha also refers to the action, strategies and practical application of uplifting te reo and maintaining a rumaki (reo Māori only) learning environment.

Who is eligible for the Waha Rumaki allowance#

The Waha Rumaki allowance is available to all certificated kaiako teaching at licensed kaupapa Māori early learning education and care services that are:

• te reo Māori immersion (where te reo Māori is used 81% to 100% of the time)
• bilingual (where te reo Māori is used 51% to 80% of the time).

There is no requirement for language competency of individual kaiako or fluency of individual children attending the service.

Licensed kaupapa Māori education and care services apply for the allowance on behalf of their certificated kaiako. The funding is paid to eligible services. It must be passed on to kaiako as an allowance on top of their salary.

The Waha Rumaki allowance is not available to kaiako at the following types of services:

• kura kaupapa Māori or other school
• kōhanga reo
• kindergartens
• home-based services
• playcentres
• playgroups.

The ECE funding handbook has more information about service and kaiako eligibility.

5-3-1 Allowances for kaiako in Māori bilingual and immersion education and care services

Allowance rates and payment#

The allowance rate we pay for each kaiako depends on:

• the language level their service teaches at (immersion or bilingual)
• how many years of experience they have teaching in Māori medium.

The ECE funding handbook has the current Waha Rumaki allowance rates.

5-3-1 Allowances for kaiako in Māori bilingual and immersion education and care services

GST is added to the payment.

We cannot advise you on how the allowance relates to payroll-related processes. Go to your accountant, payroll provider or Inland Revenue (IRD) for advice.

Contact us – Inland Revenue

Payment schedule#

The allowance is paid to your service monthly, in arrears.

Below is an indicative payment schedule for the Waha Rumaki allowance for 2025 and 2026.

How to apply for the Waha Rumaki allowance#

You must apply during the application open dates. These are listed in the payment schedule.

Contact us to request an application form.

Email: [email protected]

Confirm service or kaiako information each month#

Each month, we will email you asking if there have been any significant changes at your service.

A significant change means a change to the employment agreement of the kaiako. Changes that do not impact that agreement do not need to be provided to us.

If there have been changes, you must tell us by responding to our monthly email.

Changes could include:

• Kaiako leaving the service.
• New kaiako starting at the service.
• Changes in kaiako experience bands (1 to 3, 4 to 6, or 7+ years).
• Formal change in kaiako work hours.
• Change in service language level between bilingual and immersion.

If a kaiako starts or leaves partway through a month, we will pay that kaiako pro rata for the month.

More information#

Resources for calculating experience and FTE#

Resources for calculating final payments for leaving kaiako#

Services which received the Waha Rumaki allowance#