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New VTEs and IEAs for support staff, kaiārahi i te reo and therapists#

Circular 2026/02 | Category Employment Relations

This circular is about the new VTEs and IEAs for support staff, kaiārahi i te reo and therapists, as of 24 February 2026.

It is intended for presiding members of school boards of all state and state-integrated schools.

For more information, contact Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa | New Zealand School Boards Association (NZSBA) for employment advice.

Phone: 0800 782 435

Email: [email protected]

The Support Staff and Kaiārahi i te reo and Therapists’ Collective Agreements (SSSCA and KRCA) lapsed on 19 December 2025. Employees that were bound by the SSSCA and KRCA are now on Individual Employment Agreements (IEAs), with the same terms and conditions as those in the expired collective agreements.

New collective agreements have not yet been agreed, and the parties remain committed to concluding new collective agreements.

The support workforce plays a vital role in schools. Employees covered by the collective agreements have progressed annually through step-based increases, but the printed rates themselves have not increased since December 2023.

The Ministry is updating the rates and terms and conditions that support staff, kaiārahi i te reo and therapists can be offered while bargaining continues. NZEI Te Riu Roa and E tū have agreed that these can be offered to their members.

For all currently employed staff new rates can be accessed by a Variation to Terms and Conditions of Employment (VTE). For new employees, the new rates will be available through Individual Employment Agreements (IEAs). Updated IEAs were promulgated on 24 February 2026.  

The VTEs are available to all current employees whose roles fall under coverage of the SSSCA and the KRCA regardless of union membership.  NZEI Te Riu Roa and E tū have confirmed they are authorised to represent their members about the VTEs and IEAs.  

The VTEs and IEAs for support staff, kaiārahi i te reo and therapists can be found on the Ministry's website.

School support staff collective and individual employment agreements

Kaiārahi i te reo and therapists' collective and individual agreements

Actions#

  • Note the details of the IEAs and VTEs, including the new pay rates. 
  • Offer the VTE to all current support staff, kaiārahi i te reo and therapist employees regardless of union membership.
  • Offer IEAs to new employees.
  • Note union members must be advised that they can seek advice from their union.

Features of the VTEs and new IEAs#

  • 2.3% increase to printed rates.
  • Increasing the motor vehicle allowance to $0.83 per kilometer.
  • Clarifications to the tiaki allowance.
  • Updated conduct and performance provisions.
  • Making a 40-hour work week standard and grandparenting 37.5-hour arrangements in the SSSCA VTE and IEA.
  • Changes to variation and to the hours clauses in the SSSCA VTE and IEA.

Remuneration#

Education Payroll Limited (EPL) are responsible for processing payments to employees.

The new pay rates will be effective from the date the IEA or VTE is signed by both parties.

Pay rates for teacher aides#

The minimum pay rates for teacher aides are as shown below:

Work Matrix 

Grade

Step

 
Current rates
 

Hourly rates effective 
24 February 2026

A 

1 

$ 25.18 

$25.76  

2 

$ 25.64 

$26.23  

B-C 

1 

$ 26.59 

$27.20  

2 

$ 27.34 

$27.97  

3 

$ 28.10 

$28.75  

4 

$ 28.85 

$29.51  

5 

$ 29.60 

$30.28  

6 

$ 30.22 

$30.92  

7 

$ 30.97 

$31.68  

8 

$ 31.72 

$32.45  

9 

$ 32.47 

$33.22  

10 

$ 33.23 

$33.99  

D 

1 

$ 33.23 

$33.99  

2 

$ 34.34 

$35.13  

3 

$ 35.45 

$36.27  

4 

$ 36.56 

$37.40  

5 

$ 37.14 

$37.99  

6 

$ 38.77 

$39.66  

Pay rates for administration support staff#

The minimum pay rates for administration support staff are as shown below:

Grade

Step

 
Current rates
 

Hourly rates effective 
24 February 2026

1 

1 

$ 25.63 

$26.22  

2 

1 

$ 26.45 

$27.06  

2 

$ 27.26 

$27.89  

3 

$ 28.08 

$28.73  

4 

$ 28.89 

$29.55  

3 

5 

$ 29.52 

$30.20  

6 

$ 30.15 

$30.84  

7 

$ 30.78 

$31.49  

8 

$ 31.41 

$32.13  

4 

9 

$ 32.27 

$33.01  

10 

$ 33.15 

$33.91  

11 

$ 34.03 

$34.81  

12 

$ 34.93 

$35.73  

13 

$ 35.85 

$36.67  

5 

1 

$ 37.13 

$37.98  

2 

$ 38.43 

$39.31  

3 

$ 39.72 

$40.63  

4 

$ 41.01 

$41.95  

5 

$ 42.29 

$43.26  

6 

$ 43.58 

$44.58  

7 

$ 44.87 

$45.90  

6 

1 

$ 45.87 

$46.93  

2 

$ 46.87 

$47.95  

3 

$ 47.86 

$48.96  

4 

$ 48.86 

$49.98  

7 

1 

$ 50.59 

$51.75  

2 

$ 52.33 

$53.53  

3 

$ 54.06 

$55.30  

4 

$ 55.80 

$57.08  

5 

$ 57.53 

$58.85  

6 

$ 59.27 

$60.63  

Pay rates for librarians and library assistants#

The minimum pay rates for librarians and library assistants are as shown below:

Grade

Step

Current rates
 
 

Hourly rates effective 
24 February 2026

 

A 

1 

 $ 27.87  

$28.51  

2 

 $ 29.18  

$29.85  

3 

 $ 30.57  

$31.27  

B 

1 

 $ 30.96  

$31.67  

2 

 $ 31.82  

$32.55  

3 

 $ 32.72  

$33.47  

4 

 $ 33.66  

$34.43  

5 

 $ 34.64  

$35.44  

6 

 $ 35.66  

$36.48  

7 

 $ 36.67  

$37.51  

C 

1 

 $ 39.17  

$40.07  

2 

 $ 40.52  

$41.45  

3 

 $ 41.92  

$42.88  

4 

 $ 43.37  

$44.37  

5 

 $ 44.87  

$45.90  

D 

1 

 $ 47.54  

$48.63  

2 

 $ 48.95  

$50.08  

3 

 $ 50.40  

$51.56  

4 

 $ 51.89  

$53.08  

Pay rates for science technicians#

The minimum pay rates for science technicians are as shown below:

Grade

Step

 
Current rates
 

Hourly rates effective 
24 February 2026

1 

1 

 $ 27.87  

$28.51  

2 

 $ 29.18  

$29.85  

3 

 $ 30.57  

$31.27  

2 

1 

 $ 31.47  

$32.19  

2 

 $ 32.36  

$33.10  

3 

 $ 33.28  

$34.05  

4 

 $ 34.25  

$35.04  

5 

 $ 35.25  

$36.06  

6 

 $ 36.28  

$37.11  

7 

 $ 37.34  

$38.20  

8 

 $ 38.39  

$39.27  

3 

1 

 $ 40.20  

$41.12  

2 

 $ 41.35  

$42.30  

3 

 $ 42.52  

$43.50  

4 

 $ 43.73  

$44.74  

5 

 $ 44.97  

$46.00  

6 

 $ 46.26  

$47.32  

7 

 $ 47.58  

$48.67  

8 

 $ 48.95  

$50.08  

Pay rates for other school support staff#

The minimum pay rates for all school support staff that are not covered by a pay equity claim settlement in the agreement (that is excluding teacher aides, administration staff, librarian and library assistants and science technicians), are as shown below:

Grade

Step

Current rates 
 

Hourly rates effective 
24 February 2026

A-B 

1 

$ 24.83 

$25.40  

C 

2 

$ 25.60 

$26.19  

3 

$ 26.47 

$27.08  

4 

$ 27.34 

$27.97  

5 

$ 28.21 

$28.86  

C-D 

6 

$ 29.08 

$29.75  

D 

Range of Rates 

7 

$ 38.77 

$39.66  

Pay rates for kaiārahi i te reo#

The minimum pay rates for kaiārahi i te reo are as shown below:

Grade

Step

Current rates

Hourly rates effective 
24 February 2026

1 

1 

$40.67 

$41.61 

2 

$41.64 

$42.60 

3 

$42.60 

$43.58 

4 

$43.56 

$44.56 

5 

$44.53 

$45.55 

6 

$45.50 

$46.55 

2 

1 

$46.47 

$47.54 

2 

$47.43 

$48.52 

3 

$48.40 

$49.51 

4 

$49.37 

$50.51 

5 

$50.33 

$51.49 

Pay rates for therapists#

The minimum pay rates for therapists are as shown below:

Step

Current rates

Rates effective 
24 February 2026

1  

$75,800 

$77,543  

2  

$78,613 

$80,421  

3  

$82,796 

$84,700  

4  

$86,975 

$88,975  

5  

$91,162 

$93,259  

6  

$95,453 

$97,648  

7  

$99,743 

$102,037  

8  

$104,032 

$106,425  

9  

$108,321 

$110,812  

10  

$112,442 

$115,028  

Employers have the ability to pay above these printed rates, including for additional leadership and/or management responsibilities, where appropriate.

New VTEs and IEAs will be processed by Education Payroll Limited for payment by 12 May 2026. Rates will be paid back to the date both parties sign the VTE or IEA.

Motor vehicle allowance increase#

Increased motor vehicle allowance to $0.83 per kilometre.

Conduct and performance#

Amendments to the current Part 8 Complaints and Discipline clauses set out a more detailed process for conduct concerns and introduce a separate process for performance matters. The amended Part 8 is detailed in appendices of the VTEs and IEAs.

Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa | New Zealand Boards Association will produce guidance for employers in consultation with NZEI Te Riu Roa, to assist them in understanding the clarified conduct and performance provisions.

Grandparent 37.5-hour full-time employment/hours of work#

Amendments to SSSCA clause 2.3.1 Categories of employment.

A full-time employee is an employee who is employed for 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. Existing employees who have been employed for 37.5 hours per week as a full-time salaried employee will have their hours of work arrangements grand-parented while they remain in their current role.  

Categories of employment#

Amendments have been made to clauses 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5 of the SSSCA. These provide definitions for term-time only and casual employment, clarify categories of employment and clarification of the process by which hours may be varied for employees covered by the SSSCA. See the relevant IEA or VTE for full wording.

Clarification of the tiaki allowance#

Clauses 5.4.1 and 5.4.4 of the SSSCA and clause 5.5.2 of the KRCA have been amended to clarify that cleaning up the student’s environment will trigger the tiaki allowance (i.e. the allowance is not limited to cleaning up the student).  

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]