Professional learning and development (PLD)

The teacher aide pay equity settlement provides easier access to professional development opportunities for teacher aides. Learn more about the improved access to PLD opportunities.

Level of compliance	Main audience	Other
Required	Principals and Tumuaki Boards	Teacher aides

Level of compliance

Main audience

Other

Required

Principals and Tumuaki
Boards

Teacher aides

The settlement of the teacher aides’ pay equity claim has introduced new employment conditions for teacher aides. These conditions must be adhered to by schools.

Changes under the settlement

Teacher aides can now apply online for professional learning that supports the development of their skills and knowledge in a way that contributes to the vision of their school or kura, and the learning needs of students and ākonga.

The teacher aide pay equity settlement adds an extra $1.5 million to a pilot PLD fund that was agreed on in the Support Staff in Schools’ Collective Agreement settled in November 2019, and launched on 1 July 2020.

This will bring the fund from $790,000 to $2.29 million over 18 months to support the professional learning and development of teacher aides.

What is funded?

The fund will not only pay for course fees, it will also compensate teacher aides for their time to attend PLD courses when this is required.

It pays for professional learning offered by private providers, polytechnics, universities, schools, kura, Kāhui Ako or clusters. It covers both face-to-face and distance or online delivery.

Wherever possible, this funding should be used for PLD in term breaks and the Christmas and New Year break, or otherwise outside of the teacher aide’s work hours.

Find information on the teacher aide PLD pilot fund and how to apply for teacher aide PLD(external link)

Download Professional Learning and Development (PLD) fact sheet [PDF, 364 KB]