Adult and community education staff
Adult and community education staff work in a programme of community education courses run by a board of trustees at a state or state-integrated school. Find out more about your pay, allowances, leave and other entitlements.
| Level of compliance | Main audience | Other |
|---|---|---|
|
Required
|
|
|
The rights and responsibilities specified in an employment agreement must be adhered to. This page supports boards and adult and community education staff to understand the rights and responsibilities that are associated with their roles, as stated in the staff members’ employment agreement.
Employment agreements
Adult and community education staff in schools are covered by:
- the Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools’ Collective Agreement, or
- an individual employment agreement (IEA), with similar terms and conditions as the collective agreement
Note that there are 2 IEAs: one applies to teaching coordinators and the other to all other ACE roles.
Who's covered by the collective agreement
You're covered by the collective agreement if:
- your work is covered by this agreement, and
- you’re a member of the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association (NZPPTA).
Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools’ Collective Agreement 2020-2022
Who's covered by the individual employment agreement
You need to sign an IEA if:
- your work is covered by the collective agreement, but
- you're not a member of the NZPPTA.
The Ministry of Education develops and approves the IEA. The terms and conditions of your work are similar to the collective agreement.
Your pay
For information about your pay refer to Part 3 of the collective agreement.
Part 3 - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools' Collective Agreement
Tutors
If you're a tutor, you instruct a class or course in an ACE programme. Your minimum hourly rates are set out in clause 3.1 of the collective agreement. Your pay step depends on your qualifications and experience.
Clause 3.1 - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools’ Collective Agreement
Coordinators
If you're an ACE coordinator, you coordinate the ACE programme for your school. You'll be either a:
- teaching coordinator – if you're either currently employed as a teacher or were previously employed as a teacher but no longer teach at the school, or
- non-teaching coordinator – if you're not a teaching coordinator.
Different terms and conditions apply to each category of ACE coordinator. These are set out in clauses 3.2.1 to 3.2.4 of the collective agreement.
Clause 3.2.1-3.2.4 - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools’ Collective Agreement
Teaching coordinators currently working as a teacher at the school
On top of your normal teaching salary you're eligible for time allowance ranging from 1-10 weekly teaching half days over the year depending on your FTE:
Clause 3.1 - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools’ Collective Agreement
If you are the coordinator with overall responsibility for the programme you will also receive a responsibility allowance of up to $5,989 per annum, depending on your FTE. You'll get this allowance as long as you haven’t already been allocated a unit or 3R payment for your ACE role that's more than the coordinator’s allowance.
Clause 3.2.4 - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools' Collective Agreement
Teaching coordinators who previously taught at the school
You may agree more generous terms with your employer, but if you don’t you're paid based on your salary when you were teaching.
Clause 3.2.2 - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools' Collective Agreement
You're also eligible for a coordinator’s allowance of up to $5,989 per annum, depending on the size of your position (FTE). You'll get this allowance as long as you aren’t receiving a unit or 3R payment for your ACE role that's more than the coordinator’s allowance.
Non-teaching coordinators
Your minimum hourly rates are set out in clause 3.2.3 of the collective agreement.
Clause 3.2.3 - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools' Collective Agreement
You'll be on grade 1, 2 or 3, depending on your duties and responsibilities. The grades are explained in Part 2 of the collective agreement.
Part 2 - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools' Collective Agreement
Professional supervisors
If you're employed to assist the coordinator and your duties include assessing, guiding and coaching tutors, you're a professional supervisor. Your minimum hourly rates are set out in clause 3.3.
Clause 3.3 - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools' Collective Agreement
Coordinator assistants
If you're employed to assist the coordinator and your duties don't include assessing, guiding and coaching tutors, you're a liaison assistant. Your minimum hourly rates are set out in clause 3.4.
Clause 3.4 - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools' Collective Agreement
Allowances
If you're a coordinator you'll be paid a coordinator’s allowance, as set out under the Coordinators section above.
If you're required to use your own car for work purposes, you can get an allowance under clause 5.1 of the collective agreement of $0.62 cents or $0.47 cents per kilometre, depending on the distance travelled.
Clause 5.1 - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools' Collective Agreement
Leave
The different types of leave you're entitled to are covered in Part 4 of the collective agreement.
Part 4 - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools' Collective Agreement
If you're a teaching coordinator who's currently teaching at the school, your leave entitlements are covered in the relevant teachers' collective agreement.
Annual leave and holiday pay
Annual leave entitlements are set out in clause 4.2 of the collective agreement.
Clause 4.2 - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools' Collective Agreement
If you're employed for a fixed term for less than 12 months, or are irregularly employed (see section 28 of the Holidays Act 2003), you'll be paid holiday pay of 8 per cent of your gross earnings. This is likely to be the case if you're a tutor, coordinator assistant or professional supervisor.
Section 28 - Holidays Act 2003 - NZ Legislation website(external link)
If you're not employed in this way, you'll get 4 weeks’ annual leave each year. This would usually apply if you're a non-teaching coordinator.
Sick and bereavement leave
Sick leave and bereavement leave entitlements are set out in clause 4.3 of the collective agreement. This entitles you to the leave allowed in the Holidays Act 2003, although you may agree more generous terms with your employer. For more information refer to clause 4.3.
Clause 4.3 - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools' Collective Agreement
You become eligible for sick leave and bereavement leave when:
- you've worked for 6 continuous months, or
- over 6 months you've worked on average 10 hours a week (with at least 1 hour every week) and at least 40 hours every month in that period.
After that 6 months you're entitled to 5 days’ sick leave a year, which you can carry over to a maximum of 20 days. You can use your sick leave to care for a sick family member. You also become entitled to bereavement leave as set out in clause 4.3.
Clause 4.3 - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Staff in Schools' Collective Agreement
Parental leave
Parental leave is granted by the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987. It applies to a birth mother, their partner/spouse and people who adopt a child aged under 6.
Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987 - NZ Legislation website(external link)
Parental leave covers 4 types of leave.
- Primary carer leave – mothers and employees who are going to have the primary responsibility for a child (under six years) can get up to 26 weeks off work from around the time of birth or from the time you become the primary carer for the child in the case of adoption, home for life or whāngai.
- Partner/paternity leave – if your partner has had a baby or you've adopted a child together, you can take up to 2 weeks off.
- Extended leave – you may be able to extend your maternity leave for an extra 52 weeks.
- Special leave – pregnant woman can have up to 10 days’ pregnancy related leave.
You need to apply to your employer before taking parental leave. The usual notice required is 3 months but this can be reduced in some circumstances, such as if an adoption is arranged in a short time. The Employment New Zealand website explains how to apply for parental leave.
Parental leave - Employment New Zealand website(external link)
Parental leave payment
If you qualify for the parental leave payment, it's paid through Inland Revenue, so you need to apply for this payment and your school must confirm that you're entitled to parental leave.
If you work part time, information on the Employment New Zealand website can also help you work out your parental leave payment.
Parental leave payment - Employment New Zealand website(external link)
Last reviewed: Has this been useful? Give us your feedback