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Date 28 January 2026 | Circular 2026/01 | Category Employment Relations
This circular is about the settlement of the Secondary Teachers’ Collective Agreement with the Post Primary Teachers’ Association Te Wehengarua (STCA 2025-2027) – and information on the applicable promulgated individual employment agreements.
This circular does not replace any other.
It is intended for presiding members of school boards of all state and state-integrated secondary schools.
For more information, contact Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa New Zealand | School Boards Association (NZSBA) for employment relations advice on 0800 782 435 or email [email protected].
You can also email the Ministry of Education's Employment Relations team if you have questions about the settlement or the new collective agreement.
Email: [email protected]
All collective agreements for school staff can be found on the Ministry's website.
The action needed is to:
- note the details of the settlement, including the new pay rates for secondary teachers covered by the collective agreement
- offer the new individual employment agreement (IEA) to existing teachers who are not PPTA members.
Introduction#
On 9 December 2025, the Secondary Teachers’ Collective Agreement was signed by the PPTA and the Secretary for Education/Public Service Commissioner.
The term of the agreement is 25 months from 1 December 2025 and expires 31 December 2027.
This circular provides a summary of the changes and new provisions agreed as part of the settlement. The full collective agreement can be downloaded from the Ministry of Education’s website.
Secondary Teachers' Collective Agreement and individual employment agreements
Key features of the settlement#
Remuneration#
New pay rates have been agreed as follows:
Step | Qualification Groups | Rates effective 2 December 2024 | Rates effective 28 Jan 2026 | Rates effective 28 Jan 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G3E | $61,329 | $62,862 | $64,119 |
| 2 | G3+E | $64,083 | $65,685 | $66,999 |
| 3 | G4E | $66,586 | $68,251 | $69,616 |
| 4 | G5E | $70,779 | $72,548 | $73,999 |
| 5 | $75,340 | $77,224 | $78,768 | |
| 6 | $80,224 | $82,230 | $83,874 | |
| 7 | $86,123 | $88,276 | $90,042 | |
| 8 | $90,960 | $93,234 | $95,099 | |
| 9 | G3M | $97,920 | $100,368 | $102,475 |
| 10 | G3+M, G4M, G5M | $103,086 | $105,686 | $107,886 |
The offer provides an increase to the base salary scale:
- 2.5% 28 January 2026
- 2.0% 28 January 2027 to steps 1-8
- 2.1% 28 January 2027 to steps 9 and 10.
These rates will be effective from 28 January 2026 for employees who are PPTA members, or from the date they became members if that occurs after 28 January 2026.
For employees who are not PPTA members, the new rates will be effective from the date the employee and employer sign the Individual Employment Agreement (IEA).
| Step | Qualification Groups | Rates effective 2 December 2024 | Rates effective 28 Jan 2026 | Rates effective 28 Jan 2027 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U1 | G1, G2, G3E | $53,155 | $54,484 | $55,574 | |
| U2 | $55,316 | $56,699 | $57,833 | ||
| U3 | G4E | $60,327 | $61,835 | $63,072 | |
| U4 | G5E | $61,954 | $63,503 | $64,773 | |
| U5 | $64,457 | $66,068 | $67,390 | ||
| U6 | $68,213 | $69,918 | $71,317 | ||
| U7 | G1M | $73,594 | $75,434 | $76,943 | |
| U8 | G2M | $78,976 | $80,950 | $82,569 | |
| U9 | $85,735 | $87,878 | $89,636 | ||
| U10 | G3, G4, G5M | $88,864 | $91,086 | $92,907 | |
Education Payroll Limited (EPL) will pay these rates to employees covered by the collective agreement in pay period 25, on 3 March and will backpay to 28 January 2026 or the employee’s start date if after 28 January 2026.
For employees covered by an IEA, Education Payroll Limited will pay the new rates as soon as is practicable once advised that the new IEA has been signed.
Middle and senior management allowances#
The base rate for middle management allowances and senior management allowances will increase to $2,400 from 28 January 2026.
Units#
Unit values will increase to $5,500 from 28 January 2026.
Introduction of a Principal’s Nominee Allowance#
From 26 April 2026, Boards will be entitled in each school year to receive additional staffing as generated in the relevant Staffing Order to provide a time allowance of 0.04 FTTE for the principal’s nominee. This is the equivalent to 1 hour of timetabled non-contact time. The appointed teacher will also be entitled to an allowance of $2,500 per annum.
The specifics are contained in new clause 4.28:
4.28.1 The employer may appoint one teacher as the Principal’s Nominee for responsibilities associated with the school’s NZQA-accredited Consent to Assess (or equivalent) during the school year.
4.28.2 From 26 April 2026, the appointed teacher will be entitled to an allowance of $2,500 per annum. This allowance is not pro-rated except as provided for by clause 4.28.3.
4.28.3 In exceptional circumstances (and only with the employer’s agreement), the role can be shared by two teachers. Where this applies, the allowance and the time allocation will be shared in proportion with each teacher’s responsibilities, which must be agreed at the time the arrangement is entered into (or varied).
4.28.4 Each holder of the Principal’s Nominee Allowance will be entitled to one hour of timetabled non-contact time.
4.28.5 The employer or the teacher appointed as the Principal’s Nominee may end the responsibilities with a minimum of 1 term’s notice.
Learning Support Coordinators#
Learning support coordinators may now be appointed full-time, part-time, or job-share.
Provisions for teacher-only days#
Expenses are not payable on any day within the school term when the Minister has required teachers to attend school between 8:30am and 4:30pm, Monday to Friday, even if the school is not open for instruction. This provision also applies to Saturdays and Sundays where a school routinely operates for instruction on those days as part of its normal timetable.
Service/qualification increment#
Level 5 or higher on the Whakamātauria Tō Reo Māori framework is now recognised as a qualification for the purposes of the service/qualification increment.
Disregarded sick leave#
The rules around disregarded sick leave have been clarified to make it clear when disregarded sick leave will not be granted by the Secretary for Education:
- Where the raising of a complaint/personal grievance against the employer has substantially caused a stress-related or non-physical illness.
- Where the employee being subject to a disciplinary or competency process has substantially caused the sickness.
- Where the employer has agreed to support an application for disregarded sick leave as part of settlement of an employment relationship problem or a negotiated exit from employment.
- Where payment has been made by the Accident Compensation Corporation.
Other terms#
There are enhancements for recognition of service credit of untrained teachers and recognition of staff who return to state schools from charter schools as transferred employees.
We have updated the definition of an untrained teacher and inserted new wording for hours of work for Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu.
Individual Employment Agreements (IEAs)#
New individual employment agreements have been available since 19 December 2025.
The new rates will be effective from the date the employer and the employee sign the IEA.
Education Payroll Limited will pay the new rates as soon as is practicable once advised that the new IEA has been signed.
Make sure you are using the most up-to-date letter of offer of employment for new employees, available on the NZSBA’s website.
Issued by#
Tim Tucker, Manager - Employment Relations and Payroll Operations, Te Pou Ohumahi Mātauranga | Education Workforce
Ministry of Education, National Office, 1 The Terrace, Wellington 6011
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
Phone: 04-463 8000
Email: [email protected]
