Update on collective agreement negotiation for primary teachers
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Last updated 15 September 2025
30 August Update
Since 17 June 2025, the Ministry of Education bargaining team, who are representing the Public Service Commissioner, have been negotiating with the New Zealand Educational Institute | Te Riu Roa (NZEI TRR) in good faith to address pay and conditions for around 35,000 people working as primary teachers in state and state integrated schools.
An offer was presented to NZEI TRR on 29 July 2025 and was rejected by the NZEI TRR members via electronic vote on 7 August 2025.
For those with access to annual service-based progression, the offer would have provided increases of between 8.5% and 17.8%, including annual progression over the term of the collective agreement.
For those at the top of the scale the offer would have provided a 3% increase ($1,030 each year) over the term of the collective agreement, taking their annual base pay to $106,210.
Key elements of the offer include:
1% increases each year for the term of the collective agreement: effective from 18 August 2025 for trained, untrained teachers (teachers without a teaching qualification operating on a Limited Authority to Teach) and qualified speech language therapists.
Increases to Units: a 3% increase to units over the three-year period ($135 total over the term of the collective), moving toward pay equity with STCA.
Measures to address short term specialist knowledge supply issues in te reo Māori and Pacific Language teaching: extend the Māori Immersion Teaching Allowance and the Pacific Bilingual Immersion Teaching Allowance to untrained teachers (i.e. holders of a Limited Authority to Teach). This would allow provision of specialist knowledge in shortage areas for a limited time.
Flexibility for Learning Support Coordinators: allowing for appointment of part-time coordinators for greater employment flexibility.
Maximising student learning time and professional learning and development opportunities for teachers: teachers can be required to go to their school (or elsewhere) for an additional 10 days during term breaks. It provides greater flexibility for teachers’ professional development to happen outside of term time. This would limit disruption for students and whānau by avoiding PLD held while school is in session.
The current base pay scale for primary teachers covered by 2022 to 2025 collective agreement ranges from $61,329 to $103,086.
Teachers may also receive allowances, management units and other payments. There is no standard pay for teachers. What teachers are paid is dependent on where they are on the base pay scale and a mix of units, allowances and other payments.
The average salary for all primary teachers in 2024 was $94,354.
The average starting salary for primary teachers in 2024 was $71,400.
Teachers who are not at the top of the base pay scale are also entitled to annual service-based pay progression of between $2,503 and $6,960. In percentage terms, pay progression ranges from 3.9% and 7.7%.
The proposed Terms of Settlement, including other elements of the offer can be found here.
