Employing someone on a Limited Authority to Teach

To be eligible for a LAT, the person must have either a specialist skill, or a skill in short supply.

A specialist skill is a skill requiring a high level of expertise in a specific area, whereas a skill in short supply occurs where a teaching position cannot be filled by a qualified teacher because of supply issues. For LAT applications relating to a skill in short supply, the applicant must demonstrate the need for these positions in their regional context. 

Applications are made by the person seeking a LAT and are approved by the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand. They can apply for a LAT through the Teaching Council’s online community:

Hapori Matatū – Online Community

More information about supporting someone in your community to apply for a LAT or become a qualified teacher while employed on a LAT can be found here:

Encouraging your community into teaching – Education Workforce

The Recruitment, Retention and Responsibility National Fund (3R National Fund) is available to support schools and kura that have struggled to attract a qualified teacher | kaiako, and had to employ someone on a LAT. Eligibility criteria for both schools or kura and the LAT holder must be met to access to the fund.

If the eligibility criteria are met, you can use the top-up payments to improve your LAT holder’s remuneration.

Eligibility and making an application to the 3R National Fund

Check if your school or kura is eligible for the fund by using the search function in the application form.

To be eligible the LAT holder must: 

• have an approved LAT endorsement from the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand
• have accepted an employment offer on a fixed-term basis (either full-time or part-time) for at least 1 term.

To be eligible your school or kura must:

• be classified as a 'hard-to-staff’ school; or
• be able to show the position being filled is a STEM or te reo Māori subject; or
• be a kaupapa Māori/Māori-Medium setting.

and: 

• must apply within 3 months of the LAT holder starting employment 
• must not have reached the fund payment limit for the same LAT holder within the current calendar year.

Eligible schools and kura will receive a grant of up to NZD$8,250 (+ GST) per primary LAT holder per year or NZD$8,000 (+ GST) per secondary LAT holder per year.

You can apply for the 3R National Fund using the online application form.

Information on passing on your fund payment can be found on the EdPay website:

Recruitment, retention and responsibility (3R) payment – EdPay

If you need help, contact EdPay on 0508 668 6729 or at support@novopay.govt.nz

Schools can fund teacher salaries (including for LAT holders) through operational funding or staffing entitlement. If someone in a teaching position employed on a LAT in your school subsequently begins studying on an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme you can continue to fund their salary however you prefer.

A small number of ITE programmes require* students to be employed on a LAT while they study. If you want to support someone into ITE who is not employed in a teaching position prior to enrolling into one of these ITE programmes, you will be required to fund their salary as a LAT out of operational funding. We recommend you email teacher.supply@education.govt.nz if you have questions about how you can fund the position of a person employed in your school on a LAT while they study.

* such as employment-based ITE programmes like TeachFirstNZ.