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In 2019, we made the message loud and clear – it’s time. Time to lead, teach and learn.
The settlement has now moved to the implementation phase. The first payment to covered employees was in October 2022.
Note: covered employees are kaiārahi i te reo in state and state-integrated schools and kura, including those who finished their job on or after 20 August 2021 and started a position at another school, or left the workforce entirely.
The claim stated that the work of kaiārahi i te reo is undervalued because they are currently, and historically, mostly women. This campaign was calling for:
The pay equity process was initiated by NZEI Te Riu Roa with the Ministry of Education in 2018. It was the first proposed pay equity settlement for a Māori workforce in New Zealand history and included an average pay increase of 79 percent.
The settlement also included a commitment to improving professional learning and development, a new parental allowance, an overtime allowance, better rules for progression and an updated work matrix to determine grading. The settlement goes some way to acknowledging the mana that kaiārahi bring to te reo rangatira and our education system.
We’ve identified comparator industries with similar roles and responsibilities to school administrators. This evidence forms the basis of the claim on the principle that the same work deserves the same pay.
Learn more and read the full evidence report below.
Check out more of the progress that NZEI Te Riu Roa members have achieved together.