Secondary Teachers’ Collective Agreement negotiation

Following 10 days of bargaining, a second offer for the renewal of the Secondary Teachers Collective Agreement was presented to PPTA Te Wehengarua on 5 September 2025. Following a vote from members, PPTA Te Wehengarua rejected the offer on 12 September 2025.

The revised offer aimed to meet many of the interests we heard are important to secondary teachers on a fiscally sustainable basis and aimed to deliver effective and responsive education services.

The offer would have provided increases of between 10.2% and 19.0%, including annual progression over the term of the collective agreement.

The offer, for those on the maximum step for their qualification, would have provided a 4.7% increase over the term of the collective agreement. This would have taken the annual base pay for those on the top step (step 10) to $107,886.

Please note, offered increases in year one would have been effective from the date of ratification. The summary below assumes an October ratification date.

Key elements of the offer

• Phased increase of up to 4.7% over the term of the collective agreement:

  From October 2025:

  • ­$2,448 for step 9 and $2,600 for step 10 of the trained teachers’ scale
  • ­$1,300 per annum increase to untrained teacher rates and steps 1-8 for trained teachers.

  From October 2026:

  • ­$2,108 for step 9 and $2,200 for step 10 of the trained teachers’ scale
  • ­$1,200 per annum increase to untrained teacher rates and steps 1-8 for trained teachers.
     
• Introduction of a Principal Nominee allowance: of $2,500 for a teacher to maintain and manage qualification assessment practices and to act as the key contact with the New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA) for the school. Beginning in term 2, 2025 until the end of 2027.
• Increase in Middle Management Allowances: the rate of the allowance will increase from 28 January 2026 to $2,400 per annum (a 20% increase to the rate).
• Greater recognition of prior experience: of untrained teachers who consequently train and transition into trained teacher roles.
• Flexibility for Learning Support Coordinators: Greater ability for appointment of part-time coordinators for greater employment flexibility.
• Amendments to term breaks and when schools are not open for instruction: to allow employers to require teachers to attend school for an extra 8 days within their 12 weeks of non-contact time. This would limit disruption for students and whānau. It provides greater flexibility for Teachers’ professional development to happen outside of term time.

Previous offers can be found in the resources section of this web page.

For more information

Enquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Education Media Centre.
Media Centre | Education