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Settlement of Support Staff in Schools’ and Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists’ (NZEI) collective agreements#
Category: Employment Relations
This circular is about the recent settlement of the Support Staff in Schools’ (SSSCA 2026-2028) and Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists’ (KRCA 2026-2028) Collective Agreements.
This circular does not replace any other.
It is intended for presiding members of school boards of all state and state-integrated schools.
For more information contact Te Whakarōpūtanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa | New Zealand School Boards Association (NZSBA formerly NZSTA) about human resource issues generally.
Phone: 0800 782 435
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 our website.
Action#
The action needed is to:
- note the details of the settlement, including the new pay rates for staff in roles covered by the collective agreements
- note that members of NZEI Te Riu Roa (and/or E tū for the SSSCA) are automatically bound by the relevant collective agreement
- note a new IEA will be promulgated re the SSSCA and KRCA on 15 April 2026
- offer the updated individual employment agreement (IEA) to those who are not bound by a collective agreement once it is promulgated
- note translation guidance will be provided to schools about non-teaching guidance counsellors ahead of the June implementation date. We will provide implementation actions in that guidance.
Introduction#
On 24 March, the Collective Agreements covering Support Staff in Schools and Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists were ratified. The term of both agreements is 24 March 2026 to 23 June 2028.
This circular provides a summary of the changes and new provisions agreed as part of the settlements Unless indicated otherwise, the changes apply to both settlements. The full collective agreements can be downloaded from our website.
Key features of the settlement #
- 2.5% increase to printed rates in the previous CA on ratification (0.2% more than the 24 February IEA/VTE rates).
- 2% increase to printed rates 12 months after ratification.
- Increasing the motor vehicle allowance to $0.83 per kilometre.
- $8 million PLD fund for staff who work directly with neurodiverse learners.
- Updated conduct and performance provisions.
- Making a 40-hour full time work week standard and grandparenting 37.5-hour arrangements (SSSCA only).
- Changes to the way principals document appointments and inform staff about variation of hours (SSSCA only).
- Including non-teaching guidance counsellors under coverage (SSSCA only).
- Introduction of a Therapist Team Leadership Allowance (KRCA only).
- Medical certificates can only be requested (at the employee’s expense) after 5 consecutive days of absence.
- Workplace delegate communications channel to be provided on request.
Remuneration#
This settlement provides those already employed on the SSSCA and KRCA with an increase to all printed CA rates of 4.55% over the 27-month term of the collective agreement. This is comprised of a 2.5% increase from 24 March 2026 and a 2.0% increase from 23 March 2027.
An IEA based on each of the 2 collectives will be published on our website on 15 April.
Guidance counsellors will translate to the SSSCA on their current pay rates and will receive a 2% increase on 23 March 2027.
Education Payroll Limited will pay these rates to employees covered by the collective agreement no later than pay period 06, on 23 June 2026. For employees who are NZEI members: the increased rates will be paid back to the effective date of 24 March 2026, or from the membership join date, if they joined later than 24 March 2026. For non-union members the rates will be effective from the date they signed the IEA promulgated on 15 April 2026.
For the avoidance of doubt: re staff who signed the Individual Employment Agreements or Variation to Terms and Conditions of Employment promulgated on 24 February 2026, the percentage increases are to the printed rates in the expired collective agreements, not to the rates in the IEAs/VTEs.
Ongoing funding will be provided to schools and kura to cover the increased cost of the remuneration. Top-up funding is paid at the same time as operational grant instalments. The first instalment of top-up funding, following the implementation of the SSSCA, KRCA and respective IEAs, will be paid on 1 July based on EPL data as of 27 May.
Full rates tables are available in Annex 1, below.
Motor vehicle allowance increase#
The motor vehicle allowance will increase to $0.83 per kilometre from 24 March 2026.
Professional learning and development fund #
The Ministry will establish and administer a Professional Learning and Development (PLD) fund of up to $8 million available to staff whose work falls within coverage of the SSSCA and KRCA and who work directly with neurodiverse students to support students’ participation and progress.
Further guidance will be provided close to the date when the fund opens in Term 1 2027. The fund will provide PLD through Ministry-approved providers until the earlier of the end of 2028 or when the funds are exhausted.
Updated performance and conduct provisions#
The provisions have been updated to clarify what good processes look like for both conduct and performance matters. If employers have specific questions, they should contact NZSBA.
Phone: 0800 782 435
Email: [email protected]
Work weeks#
Making a 40-hour full time work week standard and grandparenting 37.5-hour arrangements under the SSSCA.
To be considered full-time, employees will work 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year. Less hours or weeks per year are designated part time.
Employees previously employed full-time at 37.5 hours per week, 52 weeks a year will have this status grand parented while they remain in their current role under the SSSCA.
Medical certificates change from 3 to 5 days#
If medical evidence is requested within five consecutive calendar days, the employer will agree to meet the employee’s reasonable expenses in obtaining the proof. Expenses obtaining medical evidence after five days will be at the employee’s cost.
Therapist team leader allowance under the KRCA#
Where an employer employs four or more therapists, they may allocate at their discretion an allowance of $4,000 per annum to the therapist(s) who are designated to lead a team.
Prior to the date this collective agreement came into force, some employees may have already received additional remuneration for performing team leader duties. In these circumstances, the employer and employee may agree that some or all of that remuneration will be replaced by the team leader allowance, provided that the employee’s total remuneration must not decrease and their salary must not be reduced below the applicable minimum rate.
Guidance will be provided to schools eligible prior to the implementation date in June. For more details, refer to clause 5.8 of the Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists' Collective Agreement.
Changes to appointment documentation under the SSSCA#
From 20 July 2026, employers will be required to indicate in employment documentation (such as letters of offer, or new individual employment agreements (IEAs) whether the hours of work and/or number of weeks to be worked per year could be varied in the future under clauses 2.5, 2.6 or 2.7. The 15 April IEA has been updated to reflect this requirement and NZSBA is updating their template letters of offer, to meet this requirement for those who aren’t on IEAs. We recommend this information is kept in the employee’s personal file.
Expanded coverage for non-teaching guidance counsellors under the SSSCA#
Non-teaching guidance counsellors will now fall under the coverage of the SSSCA 2026-2028. The SSSCA will provide the minimum rates for non-teaching guidance counsellors which will be Grade D step 6 of the Other Support Staff scale. This is provided that the employee holds a relevant qualification for a guidance counsellor recognised at Level 7 or above on the NZQF or is a registered psychologist.
For non-teaching guidance counsellors who hold a relevant qualification for a guidance counsellor recognised at Level 7 or above on the NZQF or is a registered psychologist.
For non-teaching guidance counsellors who do not hold a relevant qualification for a guidance counsellor recognised at Level 7 or above on the NZQF or is not a registered psychologist will be assessed in accordance with clause 3E.3.4 of the SSSCA. However, their hourly rate (as determined in clause 3) must not be lower than their rate immediately before transfer.
Guidance will be provided to schools about implementation tasks for guidance counsellor translation well ahead of the June implementation of the SSSCA. The translation rules can be found in Appendix 1 of the Support Staff in Schools' Collective Agreement 2026-2028.
Communications on fixed-term agreements#
The Ministry will communicate directly to schools where data identifies that employees under coverage of the KRCA or SSSCA have been employed on fixed-term agreements for longer than two years at the end of September 2026 and September 2027. The communication will encourage schools to consider a review of employment documentation with the assistance of the New Zealand School Board’s Association, if required, to make sure that any fixed-term agreements are for genuine reasons based on reasonable grounds (as specified in the Employment Relations Act 2000).
Workplace delegates communications channels#
Employers will provide a communication channel (notice board or online), on request, to enable sharing of union notices and information. It also references the rights provided for workplace delegates under legislation.
Recognition of service for transferred employees#
For service and for leave purposes, the Ministry will recognise the service for employees transferred to converted (charter) schools who return to state and state-integrated schools. If this occurs, contact NZSBA for advice.
Surplus staffing technical review#
The Ministry and NZEI Te Riu Roa will meet over the course of the term to discuss amendments to improve clarity around process and readability of Part 10: Employment Protection and Surplus Staffing Provisions.
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].
