Who is covered by the collective agreement#

Support staff covered by the agreement are:

• employed in state or state-integrated schools and kura
• members of the New Zealand Education Institute Te Riu Roa (NZEI Te Riu Roa) or E tū
• non-teaching guidance counsellors.

Non-teaching guidance counsellors are covered as of 24 March 2026. 

Guidance to move non-teaching guidance counsellors onto the collective agreement pay scale is below.

Support staff include people who work directly or indirectly with teachers and students to support them.

Their work may be:

• administrative
• financial
• human resources
• property management.

Part 1.3 of the collective agreement lists the roles that are not covered.

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:

• you're a new employee
• you are not a member of NZEI te Riu Roa or E tū
• your work is covered by the SSSCA (including non-teaching guidance counsellors as of 24 March 2026).

Guidance to move non-teaching guidance counsellors onto the SSSCA IEA and pay scale is below.

Pay and allowances#

Pay grades and increases are set out in part 3 of the agreement. Allowances for higher duties and recognised qualifications are also in this section.

You can find out more about recognised qualifications on the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) website.

The New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework – NZQA

Other expenses and allowances for support staff in schools are listed in part 5 of the collective agreement.

Leave#

Leave entitlements are set out in part 6 of the collective agreement.

Resignation, dismissal and retirement#

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

This is set out in parts 9 and 10 of the collective agreement.