Area School Teachers' Collective Agreement (ASTCA)

This section sets out the components of the settlement of the Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement (ASTCA) 2023 – 2025.

This agreement has been settled between the Secretary for Education, PPTA Te Wehengarua, and NZEI Te Riu Roa. The new collective agreement shall be subject to ratification by union members pursuant to section 51 of the Employment Relations Act 2000.

The terms outlined in this document are valid for ratification provided this is confirmed and the new collective agreement is signed no later than 5pm on 25 September 2023.

1. Term of agreement

The Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement (ASTCA) 2023 – 2025 shall be effective from 3 July 2023 until 2 July 2025, provided it is signed no later than 5pm on 25 September 2023.

2. Remuneration for Trained Teachers

The parties agree that the Base Salary Scale for Trained Teachers will be renewed for the term of the agreement and will provide three increases: 6% effective from 3 July 2023, followed by 4% on 3 April 2024, 3.9% from 2 December 2024 to each step of the BSS.

Additionally, from 3 July 2023, steps 1 and 2 of the BSS are merged with a new minimum rate of $56,757 as shown below:

Base Salary Scale for Trained Teachers:

Translation rules and scenarios explaining movement to the revised scale are contained in the attached Annexe 1.

3. Remuneration for Untrained Teachers

The parties agree to increase the pay rates for untrained teachers, as shown below:

*Note that from 1 April 2023 the actual rate paid for steps 1 to 3 was $47,216

4. Additional Payments

Partnership with PPTA Te Wehengarua and NZEI Te Riu Roa

In recognition of the value in their ongoing and productive relationship, including their joint efforts to build an environment in which the teaching profession is highly regarded, sustainable, and is fit for now and the future of learning, the parties agree that employees who are members of PPTA Te Wehengarua or NZEI Te Riu Roa on 31 July 2023 and are bound by the ASTCA as at the date of ratification are entitled to receive:

• a one-off gross payment of $1500, pro-rated for part-time and day relief teachers.
• A further one-off gross payment of $710, which has been calculated to provide a net of tax amount broadly equivalent to renewal of a teaching practicing certificate during the term of the agreement.

All Teachers

The parties agree that all full-time area school teachers as at the date of ratification will receive a one-off gross payment of $5,000, pro-rated for part-time and short-term relief teachers.

Clause wording is in the attached track-changed collective agreement.

5. Increases to classroom release time for full-time area school teachers who predominantly teach years 1 – 6

The parties agree to reduce the maximum timetabled classroom teaching time for teachers by a total of one and a half

hours per week for the term of the agreement for full-time teachers who predominately teach years 1 - 6.

This provision will ensure area school teachers who predominantly teach years 1 - 6 will have their maximum timetabled classroom teaching time reduced to an average of 22.5 hours per week. The parties agree to phase in the increases to classroom release time as follows:

• 30 minutes per week will be provided from Term 1, 2024, reducing maximum timetabled classroom teaching

time to 23.5 hours

• 30 minutes per week will be provided from Term 3, 2024, reducing maximum timetabled classroom teaching

time to 23 hours

• 30 minutes per week will be provided from Term 1, 2025, reducing maximum timetabled classroom teaching time to 22.5 hours

6. Classroom release time for teachers predominantly teach years 1 - 6 with one or more permanent units

The parties agree to reduce maximum timetabled classroom teaching time by one hour per week for eligible classroom teachers who hold one or more permanent units, effective from Term 1, 2025. This will provide those predominantly teaching years 1 - 6 with an additional 10 hours of time out of the classroom per term.

7. Pro-rated maximum classroom teaching time for part-time teachers who predominantly teach year 7 - 13

The parties agree to introduce a pro-rated maximum classroom teaching time for part-time teachers who predominantly teach years 7 - 13 from Term 1, 2025. This will be proportionate to that of a full-time teacher, as provided at clause 4.2 of the collective agreement.

From Term 1, 2025, the salary loading of 11% provided to part-time teachers at clause 3.26.1 will no longer apply to teachers who predominantly teach years 7-13.

The parties will work together to develop guidance that ensures that no part-time teacher employed at the end of the 2024 school year and who continue to be employed on 28 January 2025 school year is disadvantaged due to the introduction of this provision.

8. Pastoral Care Time Allowances

The parties agree to introduce 547 pastoral care time allowances of 0.25 FTTE from Term 1, 2025 for area school teachers predominantly teaching years 7 -13.

9. Māori Immersion Teaching Allowance (MITA)

The parties agree to increase the Māori Immersion Teaching Allowance (MITA) for immersion level 1 and 2, effective from 17 July 2023, as below:

The clause wording is included in the tracked change collective agreement.

10. Pacific Bilingual Immersion Teaching Allowance (PBITA)

The parties agree to introduce a Pacific Bilingual Immersion Teaching Allowance (PBITA) for immersion levels 1 and 2, effective from 28 January 2024, as detailed below:

The agreed wording is included in the attached tracked change collective agreement.

11. Increase to Motor Vehicle Allowance rate

The parties agree to increase the motor vehicle allowance, provided in clause 6.4, to 83 cents per kilometre, effective

from the 14 August 2023.

12. Central payment of beginning teacher full certificate fees

The parties agree that the Ministry of Education will pay the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand directly for any fees incurred by beginning teachers when moving from provisional to full certification, over the term of the collective agreement. (For the avoidance of doubt, this entitlement does not apply during any period that the collective continues in force under s 53 of the Employment Relations Act 2000).

13. Cultural Leadership Allowance

The parties agree to introduce a Cultural Leadership allowance at $5,000 per annum based on an allowance of one per area school.

The purpose of these allowances will be to build staff capability and cultural leadership in schools and kura, for example a holder of the allowance may coach their peers through engagement with whānau and iwi or Pacific communities, and/or the incorporation of mātauranga Māori into their practice. This will come into effect from 28 January 2024, enabling the parties to determine criteria for accessing the allowance and to work through other related administrative requirements. We expect any final guidance and eligibility criteria to reflect the position that cultural skills and competencies are a responsibility of all kaiako.

Clause wording is detailed in the tracked change collective agreement (see clause 3.36).

14. Kapa Haka Release Days

The parties agree that the Kapa Haka relief days that are available to primary teachers to attend Te Mana Kuratahi will be accessible to area school teachers. The parties’ intention is not to provide additional days, but rather to formalise an existing arrangement. To this end, the following clause wording is to be added to 2.17 Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua:

2.17.2  140 teacher relief days will be made available biennially for area or primary teachers to attend Te Mana Kuratahi (the National Primary Kapa Haka Competition) to support students participating in the competition.

The existing clause 2.17.2 will therefore be renumbered to 2.17.3.

15. Short-Term Reliever Provisions

The parties agree to raise the maximum salary cap for short-term relief teachers from BSS Step 5 (new step as at 3 July 2023) to Step 6 from 28 January 2024.

The parties agree to meet regularly to discuss reliever employment issues including remuneration during the term of the collective agreement. The parties will work together to agree a terms of reference within two months of ratification of the collective agreement.

16. Technology teacher qualification recognition – 6,000 hours post qualification

The parties agree to recognise National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 5 and 6 trade or vocational qualifications for salary purposes, where the highest trade or vocational qualification is below Level 7 on the NQF, and the teacher has at least 6000 hours of applicable trade or vocational work experience.

17. Sick leave

The parties agree to improve the existing sick leave entitlements. The agreed wording is provided in the attached tracked change collective agreement.

16. Maramataka Calendar

The Ministry is supportive of boards who apply to the Ministry to have their school calendar changed to the Maramataka calendar. Once a new legislative framework is in place enabling schools to seek to change to the Maramataka calendar, we will meet with you to discuss a variation to the collective agreement.

19. Learning Support Coordinator role recognition and clarification

The parties agree to recognise the valuable role of the Learning Support Coordinator in the Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement at clause 3.37. Clause wording is in the tracked change collective agreement.

20. Kāhui Ako Within School Teacher Allowances

From 28 January 2024, the parties agree to changes in how schools in Kāhui Ako can more flexibly allocate their Within School Teacher Allowances, enabling the school to divide up to 50% of these into Responsibility Allowances worth $2,000 per annum (and no less than 50% as Within School Teacher Allowances worth $8,000 per annum). Kāhui Ako inquiry time will be removed.

Clause wording is detailed in the tracked change collective agreement.

21. Entitlement clarification and readability

The parties agree to other clause wording which updates and/or improves readability to entitlements for Refreshment Leave, Removals Expenses, Parental Leave, Parental Grant, Disregarded Sick Leave, Surplus Staffing, application of trade qualifications, as well as for facilitating RTLB cluster lead school changes. These are detailed in the attached tracked change collective agreement.

22. Definition of Education Gazette

The parties agree to amend clause 1.8.1(a) to clarify that “advertised” means advertised online in the Education Gazette.

23. Related matters

We note that the Education Payroll will implement the lump sum payments by 5 September 2023 and the rest of the settlement by 15 November 2023.

NZEI TRR and PPTA Te Wehengarua agree that the terms and conditions in the collective agreement will be offered to non-union employees. To recognise the role of the union in reaching the terms and conditions in the collective agreement, and so as not to undermine collective bargaining, the Secretary will not offer the terms and conditions in the collective agreement to non-union members for 6 weeks from 14 August 2023.

The parties agree that they will review the hours of work prior to 28 January 2025 and that during the term of the Agreement they will review the annual leave provisions to formalise a closedown under the Holidays Act 2003.

24. Technical changes

The parties agree to a series of technical changes to the agreement as listed in the attached Annexe 2.

Annexe 1: Automatic translation to pay scale from 3 July 2023 (‘new scale’) from pay scale in force on 2 July 2023 (‘old scale’) and incremental progression from one salary step to the next

Translation

The parties have agreed on the following automatic translation arrangements for the new scale.

Examples:

• An employee who is on Step 1 ($51,358) of the old scale on 2 July 2023 will on 3 July 2023 automatically translate to Step 1 ($56,757) of the new scale - an increase in salary of $5,399.
• An employee who is on Step 2 ($53,544) of the old scale on 2 July 2023 will on 3 July 2023 move to Step 1 ($56,757) of the new scale, with a salary increase of $3,213.
• An employee who is on Step 5 ($61,794) of the old scale on 2 July 2023 will on 3 July 2023 automatically translate to Step 4 ($65,794) of the new scale, with a salary increase of $4,000.

Table 1 indicates automatic translation for employees on all the steps of the old scale to the new scale, with effect from 3 July 2023.

Table 1

Incremental Progression

The parties confirm that rules for incremental progression, as detailed in clause 3.18 remain unchanged, except that the new scale will replace the old scale on 3 July 2023.

For the avoidance of doubt:

• in 18 the term ‘service increment’ shall mean progression to the next step on the old scale until 2 July 2023, and progression to the next step on the new scale from 3 July 2023.

• the introduction of a new scale does not change the expectation that a teacher will increment one step only, once every 12 months, on the anniversary of their appointment.

Salary scenarios – translation and progression G3 Entry - Step 1: employee translates across

G3 Step 2: translates 1 down 

 G3+ Entry - Step 3: translates 1 down

 Step 9: translates 1 down

Annexe 2: Technical Amendments