Primary Principals' (NZEI) Collective Agreement

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Primary Principals' (NZEI Te Riu Roa) Collective Agreement [PDF, 778 KB]

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Changes to the agreement

Read about the recent changes in the Primary Principals' (NZEI) Collective Agreement.

Changes to the Primary Principals’ (NZEI) Collective Agreement 2023-25

Schedule 1: Definition of Levels of Māori Immersion

Primary Principals' (NZEI) Collective Agreement
Effective: 3 July 2023 to 2 July 2025

  • Level 2: Development Programmes (51% to 80% Immersion)
        • Te reo Māori is, for most of the time, the language of communication and instruction.
        • English is accepted as a temporary language of instruction and communication.
        • There is an agreement between the school and parents that the programme will achieve a particular level of immersion over a specified period of time.
        • The level of fluency of the teacher will vary considerably, from not very fluent to native-like fluency.
        • There is a reliance on Kaiarahi Reo to increase the amount of spoken Māori in the programme.

      (It is expected that not all students in the programme will interact freely in Māori).

  • Level 3: Emerging Programmes (31% to 50% Immersion)
        • English is the main language of communication and instruction.
        • The teacher can communicate at a basic level of Māori, but has difficulty instructing in Māori.
        • Māori is used as the classroom management language.
        • An increase in the level of immersion is restricted by the level of fluency of the teacher.
        • A Kaiarahi Reo is usually the only fluent speaker in the programme.

      Note: A school which is offering Māori as a subject only would not meet the level 3 Immersion criteria.