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Settlement of the Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement#
Category: Employment Relations
This circular is about the settlement of the Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement (PTCA) with the New Zealand Educational Institute – Te Riu Roa (NZEI) – 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 primary and specialist schools, composite (other than area) schools, and secondary schools with intermediate departments, special classes or attached special education units.
For more information contact Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa New Zealand | School Boards Association (NZSBA) for employment relations advice.
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.
People and employment - Ministry of Education
Action#
The action needed is to
- note the details of the settlement, including the new pay rates for primary teachers covered by the collective agreement
- offer the new individual employment agreement (IEA) to existing teachers who are not NZEI members.
Introduction #
On 14 April 2026, the Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement was signed by the NZEI and the Secretary for Education/Public Service Commissioner.
The term of the agreement is 30 months from 2 April 2026 to 2 October 2028.
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 our website.
Primary teachers' collective and individual employment agreements
Key features of the settlement #
Remuneration #
The settlement provides an increase to salary rates as follows:
- 2.5% from 2 April 2026
- a further 2.0% from 28 January 2027 to all steps, except
- steps 9 and 10 of the Trained Teachers’ scale increase by a further 2.1% from 28 January 2027.
New pay rates have been agreed as follows.
Unified base salary scale for trained teachers
| Qualification groups | Rates effective 2 December 2024 | Rates effective 2 April 2026 | Rates effective 28 January 2027 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Q1E, Q2E, Q3E | $61,329 | $62,862 | $64,119 |
| 2 | Q3+E | $64,083 | $65,685 | $66,999 |
| 3 | Q4E | $66,586 | $68,251 | $69,616 |
| 4 | Q5E | $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 | Q1M, Q2M, Q3M | $97,920 | $100,368 | $102,475 |
| 10 | Q3+M, Q4M, Q5M | $103,086 | $105,686 | $107,886 |
Base scale – untrained employees
| Step | Rates effective 2 December 2024 | Rates effective 2 April 2026 | Rates effective 28 January 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | $52,468 | $53,780 | $54,855 |
| Maximum | $54,528 | $55,891 | $57,009 |
Base salary scale for qualified speech language therapists
| Step | Qualification group | Rates effective 2 December 2024 | Rates effective 2 April 2026 | Rates effective 28 January 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Group 3 Entry | $76,805 | $78,725 | $80,300 |
| 2 | Group 4 Entry | $81,462 | $83,499 | $85,169 |
| 3 | Group 5 Entry | $86,253 | $88,409 | $90,178 |
| 4 | $91,069 | $93,346 | $95,213 | |
| 5 | $95,638 | $98,029 | $99,990 | |
| 6 | $100,139 | $102,642 | $104,695 | |
| 7 | $104,640 | $107,256 | $109,401 | |
| 8 | $109,139 | $111,867 | $114,105 | |
| 9 | $113,640 | $116,481 | $118,811 |
These rates will be effective from 2 April 2026 for employees who are NZEI members, or from the date they became members if that occurs after 2 April 2026.
Education Payroll Limited (EPL) will pay these rates to employees covered by the collective agreement in pay period PP 07, on 7 July 2026 and will backpay to 2 April 2026 or the date the employee became bound by the PTCA if after 2 April 2026.
Units#
Unit values will increase as follows.
| Current rate effective 28 January 2024 | Rate effective 2 April 2026 | Rate effective 28 January 2027 | Rate effective 2 October 2028 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit Value | $4,500 | $5,100 | $5,250 | $5,500 |
Other allowances#
The Associate Teacher Allowance of $51.60 per week is now a minimum rate, and a board may choose to pay at a higher rate, consistent with arrangements between the board and the provider.
The School Camp Allowance increases to $35/day from the beginning of the 2027 school year.
An additional 25 Cultural Leadership Allowances are being made available from the beginning of the 2027 school year. These will be distributed based on the existing allocation method.
Learning Support Coordinators#
Learning support coordinators may now be appointed full-time, part-time, or job-share.
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.
Service credit#
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.
Chatham and Pitt Islands provisions#
The specific entitlements for teachers employed on the Chatham Islands have been updated to align with those agreed for Primary Principals, including increases to the Isolation and Freight Allowances.
Other matters as part of the settlement #
In addition to the changes to terms and conditions outlined above, a number of additional matters were agreed including:
- a $2.5m fund for to support short-term relievers engage in professional learning and development. Further details will be provided shortly.
- 500 days of teacher release in 2027 and in 2028 to support teachers in U1 to U3 schools to support the roll out of curriculum changes.
- an additional 25 Cultural Leadership Allowances will be made available from the start of the 2027 school year.
- clarification that the Beginning Teacher Time Allowance should be used to provide beginning teachers with a robust advice and guidance programme, including potential release of their mentor teacher.
Individual Employment Agreements (IEAs)#
With the settlement of the PTCA, new IEAs have been promulgated on 15 April 2026 for employees who are not NZEI members.
For employees who are not NZEI members, the new IEAs will be effective from the date on which the employee and employer sign the Agreement.
These IEAs replace the ones promulgated in March. Teachers who are not NZEI members should be offered the newest IEA even if they have signed the previous iteration.
Please ensure 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]
