Education Minister Erica Stanford says the Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement has been ratified, after NZEI members voted in favour on 2 April.

Under the settlement, teachers on the top two steps of the salary scale receive a 2.5 percent increase from today and a further 2.1 percent on 28 January next year, a cumulative 4.7 percent by January 2027. The ministry says the top-of-scale base salary will be $107,886 a year.

Teachers progressing through the scale will continue to receive their annual step movements, alongside a 2.5 percent increase from today and a further 2 percent next January — a cumulative 4.6 percent across the period.

The deal also phases in an increase to the value of “units” held by primary teachers — allowances attached to certain roles — from $4,500 to $5,500 by October 2028. Stanford said this resolves what she called a “historic and longstanding” inequity with secondary unit rates, moving primary teachers to parity over the period. The ministry says about 60 percent of primary teachers hold units.

Stanford thanked teachers for their work implementing the refreshed curriculum and said the Government would ensure teachers have the support and resources needed to lift achievement.

The ministry has published settlement details on its Education Workforce website.