Māori immersion allowance
Learn about the Māori immersion allowance, which you will be paid if you meet the criteria set out in your employment agreement.
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- Definition of Māori immersion
- Māori Immersion Teaching Allowance (MITA)
- Primary principals
- Primary teachers
- Secondary principals
- Secondary teachers
- Area school principals
- Area school teachers
Definition of Māori immersion
Level 1
Level 1: Maintenance programmes (81% to 100% immersion):
- te reo Māori is the principal language of communication and instruction
- the principal curriculum is taught entirely in Māori.
It’s expected that all students in the programme will interact freely in Māori.
Level 2
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’s a reliance on kaiārahi reo to increase the amount of spoken Māori in the programme.
It’s expected that not all students in the programme will interact freely in Māori.
Level 3
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 kaiārahi reo is usually the only fluent speaker in the programme.
A school which is offering Māori as a subject only would not meet Level 3 immersion criteria.
Māori Immersion Teaching Allowance (MITA)
The purpose of the MITA is to give practical recognition to te reo Māori as a taonga to be actively protected under te Tiriti o Waitangi and to recognise the special and valued skills and knowledge kaiako must have to teach the curriculum in te reo Māori.
A teacher can only receive the allowance for 1 level at any one time.
Schools were previously required to attest the eligibility of teachers for these allowances yearly. Instead, they will only need to advise in situations where there are changes, by sending an instruction to Education Payroll Limited.
Primary principals
If you are required to teach in te reo Māori immersion classes at levels 1, 2 or 3, you will receive a baseline allowance.
Additional allowances at levels 1 and 2 are paid once you have completed 3 years' and 6 years' continuous service.
The allowance is set out in clause 6.2.6 of your collective agreements.
Clause 6.2.6 - Primary Principals' Collective Agreement
Clause 6.2.6 - Primary Principals' (PPCBU) Collective Agreement
Primary teachers
If you’re required to teach in te reo Māori immersion classes at levels 1, 2 or 3, you will receive a baseline allowance.
Additional allowances are paid once you have completed 3 years’ and 6 years’ continuous service.
The allowance is set out in clause 3.17 of your collective agreement.
Clause 3.17 – Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement
Secondary principals
If you are required to use te reo Māori for at least 6 hours per week in approved Māori immersion programmes at levels 1, 2 or 3, you will receive a baseline allowance.
Additional allowances at level 1 are paid once you have completed 3 years' and 6 years' continuous service.
The allowance is set out in clause 3.9 of your collective agreement.
Clause 3.9 – Secondary Principals’ Collective Agreement
Secondary teachers
If you are required to use te reo Māori for at least 6 hours per week in approved Māori immersion programmes at levels 1, 2 or 3, you will receive a baseline allowance.
Additional allowances are paid once you have completed 3 years' and 6 years' continuous service.
The allowance is set out in clause 4.18 of your collective agreement.
Clause 4.18 – Secondary Teachers’ Collective Agreement
Area school principals
If you are required to teach in te reo Māori immersion classes at levels 1, 2 or 3, you will receive a baseline allowance.
Additional allowances at levels 1 and 2 are paid once you have completed 3 years’ and 6 years’ continuous service.
The allowance is set out in clause 3.5 of your collective agreement.
Clause 3.5 – Area School Principals’ Collective Agreement
Area school teachers
If you are required to use te reo Māori for at least 6 hours per week in approved Māori immersion programmes at levels 1, 2 or 3, you will receive a baseline allowance.
Additional allowances are paid once you have completed 3 years’ and 6 years’ continuous service.
The allowance is set out in clause 3.14 of your collective agreement.
Clause 3.14 – Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement
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