Additional relief teacher funding for sports and cultural leave

Find information about the circumstances in which additional relief teacher funding for sports and cultural leave will be granted by the Ministry and how schools can apply.

Additional relief teacher funding for sports and cultural leave is only available under certain circumstances. Successful applications for additional relief teacher funding for sports and cultural leave will need to meet the eligibility conditions on this page.

We strongly recommend that the school board makes any application for this funding in advance. If you grant leave with pay to a teacher for a sporting or cultural event and then find the application doesn’t meet the requirements for additional relief teacher funding, the school board will have to fund the entire period of absence. Remember that even if funding is approved, it still might not cover the entire period of absence. 

Your school board’s responsibilities when granting leave 

School boards are responsible for all decisions about granting leave, with or without pay, to teachers. When you consider leave requests, you must follow the appropriate provisions of the relevant collective employment agreement. 

We don’t approve or decline leave requests for teachers, and we don’t decide if leave is to be granted with or without pay.  

The New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) provide school boards with advice on employment related matters. Visit their website NZSTA website(external link) for more information.

How to apply for additional relief teacher funding for sports and cultural leave 

To apply, download the RT2 form [DOCX, 31 KB] and complete it. Scan the form along with the supporting documentation, and then email to us. 

Documentation to include with an application 

An application must include supporting documentation on the relevant national organising body’s official letterhead and detail: 

• the international event (event name, teams competing, etc.)
• the nature of the teacher's participation (competitor, accredited official) and the level at which any competition will take place
• a detailed itinerary of the planned tour that includes the dates of the international event, the dates of any ‘in person’ registration for the international event, planned travel dates, and any other related activities (training days, rehearsals, etc.)
• the basis on which selection has been made (invitation or national competition) and documented evidence of the selection
• public relations benefits for New Zealand for cultural leave whether fees (or other remuneration) are being paid for the teacher’s participation or services
• any other relevant details related to the conditions set out above. 

Limits of additional relief teacher funding for sports and cultural leave 

Funding coverage 

In some cases, additional relief teacher funding for sports and cultural leave won’t cover the entire period of leave the board grants, or that a teacher requests. 

Maximum number of days and payment basis 

Funding for a teacher’s absence due to sports or cultural leave is limited to a maximum of 20 school days in any one school year. 

Additional relief teacher funding for sports and cultural leave is: 

• paid on a five-day basis
• not available during weekends or school holidays.

Note that the eight-day rule that applies to additional relief teacher funding for sick leave doesn’t apply to this funding. 

Eligibility conditions for additional relief teacher funding for sports leave 

To be approved for funding a teacher must meet all the eligibility conditions. If any  exclusions  apply, funding won't be approved. 

Please ensure you read both the exclusions listed beneath the following conditions, and in the 'what sports and cultural leave funding is not available for' section below.

The sport must be a current accredited sport for competition in the Olympic Games or Commonwealth Games. 

The lists of current accredited sports for competition in the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games are determined by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Commonwealth Games Federation respectively. 

You must check these lists before you apply for funding: 

International Olympics Committee website(external link)

Commonwealth Games Federation website(external link)

Victoria 2026 | Commonwealth Games Federation (thecgf.com)(external link) 

Where the list of current accredited sports for competition is yet to be issued, the sports included at the most recently held Olympic or Commonwealth Games will be used.  If you’ve checked the lists and are still not sure about eligibility, contact us for help. 

Exclusions 

Additional relief teacher funding isn't available for any other sport lists, or any other IOC and Commonwealth Games Federation recognised sport lists. 

The sport must be formally constituted and recognised by a national organising body that conducts regular tournaments in the sport. 

Check the relevant website of the New Zealand sporting body that's representing the event to find out if they're the national organising body for the sport in New Zealand. 

Sport NZ maintains a sport and recreation directory(external link). 

The teacher must be competing in an international event (as an individual or team member) and representing New Zealand at a national level. 

Exclusions 

This condition excludes: 

• a teacher representing a country other than New Zealand 
• events in which the teacher is participating as an individual or a member of a team representing a city, area, region, or island (North or South) of New Zealand
• events that take place in New Zealand (unless it is an international event and the other conditions are met and no exclusions apply).

The teacher must be an eligible participant. 

An eligible participant is a competitor or recognised accredited official. Recognised accredited officials are coaches, managers, necessary escorts for youth teams, umpires, referees and interpreters. 

Exclusions 

This condition excludes selectors, touch judges, assistant referees, timekeepers, other escorts and non-coaching analysts. 

The competition must be open to all age groups. 

The competition must be open to all age groups. The only exception is nationally selected school, or school-aged youth teams, where the accompanying teacher is an accredited recognised official, and the event meets all other conditions. 

Exclusions  

This condition excludes events that are selected, competed or awarded solely in age restricted categories or limited to a specific age group only, unless it can be clearly established by the national body that the selection process and the event is ‘open to all age groups’ despite being run in age grouped heats. 

Selection for the event must have been made on a national basis. 

Selection must be on a national basis, normally by means of ‘open’ national competition, not by invitation or appointment. 

Exclusions  

This condition excludes all events where the selection has been limited to a city, area, region, or island (North or South) of New Zealand. 

More sports leave exclusions 

Remember to also check the exclusions listed under the 'what sports and cultural leave funding is not available for' section below.

Funding coverage 

Any funding approved is provided for the actual days of international-level competition during any tour. In some cases, this won’t be the same number of days of the actual tour, or the same number of days of leave that the teacher has applied for. 

Eligibility conditions for additional relief teacher funding for cultural leave 

To be approved for funding, a teacher must meet all the following eligibility conditions. If any of the exclusions apply, funding won't be approved. 

Please ensure you read both the exclusions listed beneath the following conditions and in the 'what sports and cultural leave funding is not available for' section. 

The cultural event must be a significant event in an international context. 

The activity must be a significant event in an international context. Normally for additional relief teacher funding for cultural leave, an event will take the form of an artistic or cultural performance, competition or exhibition. However, the activity is not limited to these specific event types, and other related ‘activities’ are considered in terms of their significance in an international context. The activity must meet all the other conditions for cultural leave. 

The cultural event must be organised by a national body. 

The event must be arranged by a recognised national body and selected on a national basis.

Exclusions 

This condition excludes all events where the selection has been limited to a city, area, region, or island (North or South) of New Zealand.

The event must lead to considerable public relations benefits for New Zealand. 

Refer to the documentation to include with an application for the evidence that identifies this is the case. 

More cultural leave exclusions 

Remember to also check the exclusions listed in the following section: What sports and cultural leave funding is not available for.

What sports and cultural leave funding isn't available for 

The following exclusions apply to additional relief teacher funding for both sports and cultural leave. 

Funding isn't available for any event that falls under the exclusions listed below, even if the event meets the eligibility conditions for both sports and cultural leave. 

Inter-provincial and national events in New Zealand or other countries aren't funded. 

Additional relief teacher funding isn’t provided for inter- provincial, inter-state or national events taking place in New Zealand or in other countries. 

This includes any events where New Zealand is competing against a city, area, region, or state of another country either in New Zealand or that country. 

Events where no competition takes place aren't funded. 

Additional relief teacher funding isn’t available for non-competition events(except where stated in the cultural leave conditions). This includes business, board or service organisation meetings, conferences, conventions, forums or any similar ‘meeting for discussion’ event professional development or study, here in New Zealand or overseas. 

Training and build-up events aren't funded. 

Additional relief teacher funding isn't available for: 

• coaching sessions, sports training, training camps, sports practice, rehearsals
• performance practices or other training or practice activities for qualifying events
• time trials
• build-up events preliminary competitions
• preparatory events or other related events.

These exclusions apply to activities or events in New Zealand or overseas. 

Events in which teachers are representing other countries are not funded. No funding is available for an event where the teacher is representing a country other than New Zealand. 

Events for which teachers are to receive fees or other remuneration are not funded. 

No funding is provided when a school board grants leave with pay for teachers who are also receiving fees and/or other remuneration for their participation in or services to the event.

How travel days are applied to the event dates for funding 

For additional relief teacher funding for both sports and cultural leave, we provide a standard travel period for necessary travel based on the quickest method of travel for specified regions. 

Travel is paid on each side of the event dates that have been approved to receive additional relief teacher funding. Travel days are limited to school days only. 

The maximum days of funding provided for necessary travel for international events in different countries are listed in the following table. 

Note: These days are only applicable if they are school days.  

Contact us for help 

Phone: +64 4 463 8383 

Email: resourcing@education.govt.nz

Last reviewed: 14 February 2023 Has this been useful? Give us your feedback