Kaiārahi i te reo and therapists

This page supports boards, kaiārahi i te reo and therapists to understand the rights and responsibilities that are associated with their roles, as stated in a staff member’s employment agreement.

Level of compliance Main audience Other

Required

  • Boards
  • Kaiārahi i te Reo
  • Therapists
  • Administrators

Employment covered by this agreement

This agreement applies to:

  • kaiārahi i te reo
  • therapists.

Kaiārahi i te reo

If you work at a school as a kaiārahi i te reo, you're fluent in te reo Māori and have an in-depth knowledge of Māori traditions and beliefs, and you work alongside a teacher supporting Māori language.

Therapists

If you work at a school as a therapist, you're a nationally registered physiotherapist and/or occupational therapist holding a current annual practising certificate.

Employment agreements

Kaiārahi i te reo and therapists covered by the terms and conditions of:

  • the Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists’ Collective Agreement, or
  • an individual employment agreement (IEA), with similar terms and conditions to the collective agreement.

The rights and responsibilities specified in an employment agreement must be adhered to.

Who is covered by the collective agreement

You are covered by the collective agreement if:

  • your work is covered by this agreement, and
  • you're a member of the New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa (NZEI Te Riu Roa).

Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists’ Collective Agreement 2022-2024 [PDF, 794 KB] 

Who is covered by the individual employment agreement

You need to sign an individual employment agreement (IEA) if:

  • your work is covered by the collective agreement, but
  • you're not a member of the NZEI Te Riu Roa.

The Ministry of Education develops and publishes 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.

Check the relevant clause for your job:

  • clause 3.1 for kaiārahi i te reo
  • clause 3.2 for therapists.

Clause 3: Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists’ Collective Agreement

If you work part time, your pay is a percentage of the full-time pay for your role calculated by the number of hours you work each week.

Pay increases

The pay grade may have steps within it and you can move up those steps based on your performance review each year. This is explained in the same clause that sets your pay scales.

If you have a recognised qualification that your employer agrees is relevant to your job you may be entitled to a pay increase. The allowances and the qualification levels you need to achieve are listed in clause 3.7 of the collective agreement.

You can find out more about the NZQA qualifications on their website.

Clause 3.6: Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists' Collective Agreement

The New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework – NZQA(external link)

If you were receiving a payment before 28 January 2012 for a recognised qualification listed in an earlier collective agreement, you will still receive that payment while you are employed by the same school in the same job.

2009–11 Kaiārahi i te Reo, Therapists', Assistants to Teachers of Students with Severe Disabilities, and Special Education Assistants' Collective Agreement

Funding for Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists' Collective Agreement 2022-24

Ongoing funding will be provided to schools and kura to cover the increased costs of the Kaiārahi I te Reo and Therapists Collective Agreement. Funding will be paid as part of the operational grant instalments. The first instalment will be on 1 October 2022.

We have used 2021 payroll data to estimate how much additional funding schools and kura will require to cover the collective agreement (CA) increases.

The funding is calculated as follows:

KRTCA Funding Calculation 2022-2024 Image

Your school or kura will receive a funding letter via the School Data Portal prior to receiving your first estimated funding instalment on 1 October 2022. This payment will appear on your operational grant notice under the 'manual payments' heading.

Allowances

Allowances are set out in part 5 of the collective agreement.

Part 5: Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists' Collective Agreement

They include:

  • motor vehicle (if you have to use your own car for school business – $0.62 per km)
  • first aid (if you are the designated first aider and have a first aid certificate or nursing qualification – $0.35 an hour)
  • overnight (if you have to stay overnight on a school camp or trip – minimum adult wage rate per hour for hours worked between 6pm and 8am)
  • tiaki allowance (therapists only – $4.95 a day).

Leave

Leave entitlements are set out in part 6 of the collective agreement.

Part 6: Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists' Collective Agreement 

Annual leave and long service leave

You get 4 weeks annual leave each year and you must take this when the school is closed at the end of the school year (that is, not in term time).

This is on top of the normal public holidays which are paid days off. You get Easter Tuesday as a paid day off in your first 10 years of service and therapists also get the day after Boxing Day as a paid day off. These entitlements are set out in clause 6.3.5 of the collective agreement.

Clause 6.3.5: Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists' Collective Agreement 

After 5 years continuous service your annual leave increases to 4 weeks 3 days, as set out in clause 6.3.6.

After 10 years continuous service your annual leave increases to 5 weeks but you must take Easter Tuesday as annual leave. Therapists must also take the day after Boxing Day as annual leave, as set out in clause 6.3.7.

If you're a therapist, you qualify for long service leave of 4 weeks after 20 years' service, as set out in clause 6.4.1.

Sick leave

Your basic sick leave entitlement is 5 days a year. An extra entitlement of leave is granted depending on your length of service, as shown in the following table.

Time you've worked Extra sick leave
Up to 3 months 7 days
Over 3 months and up to 6 months 7 days
Over 6 months and up to 9 months 7 days
Over 9 months and up to 5 years 5 days
Over 5 years and up to 10 years 19 days
Over 10 years and up to 20 years 14 days
Over 20 years and up to 30 years 25 days
Over 30 years 22 days

If you don’t use all your sick leave in a year you can carry it forward and you can anticipate days from this extra allocation if your employer agrees.

You can use your sick leave to care for a sick family member.

The collective agreement contains full details of sick leave, including special conditions for working out your additional sick leave if you were previously covered by a different employment agreement.

Clause 6.5: Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists' Collective Agreement

Other leave

You're entitled to bereavement/tangihanga leave, as set out in clause 6.6 of the collective agreement.

Clause 6.6: Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists' Collective Agreement

Your school may also allow you to take special or discretionary leave with or without pay on days when the school is open as set out in clause 6.11.

Clause 6.1: Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists' Collective Agreement

Family violence leave is set out in clause 6.12 of the collective agreement.

Clause 6.12: Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists' Collective Agreement

You can have your sick leave disregarded if you meet certain criteria as set out in clause 6.13 of the collective agreement.

Clause 6.13: Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists' 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(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 6 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 have adopted a child together, you can take up to 2 weeks off.
  • Extended leave: You may be able to extend your parental 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(external link)

Parental leave payment

If you qualify for the parental leave payment, it is paid through Inland Revenue. You need to apply for this payment and your school must confirm that you are 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(external link)

Parental grant

If you're a therapist employed under an old NZ Support Staff in Schools Composite agreement at 30 August 1992, you may qualify for a parental grant.

It is paid if you return to work before your parental leave ends and work for a further 6 months. The amount paid is equivalent to 30 working days' leave on pay. You can read more about this in clause 6.8 of the collective agreement.

Clause 6.8: Kaiārahi i te Reo and Therapists' Collective Agreement

Leaving your job

Both you and your employer must follow the correct processes and procedures to manage your resignation, dismissal or retirement.

Resignation, dismissal and retirement

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