Overseas teachers
February 2009
Introduction
The New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) represents all teachers in secondary schools, some teachers in area schools, and technology teachers in primary or intermediate schools.
If you are considering applying for a teaching position, or are actually teaching in either a secondary school, an area school or as a technology teacher, then PPTA has union coverage and this booklet offers you relevant information and advice.
Applying for a job
In New Zealand individual school boards employ teachers.
By law all permanent and fixed-term positions of more than one term in the secondary service must be advertised in the Education Gazette and in the area school service they must be nationally advertised. (Most of the latter positions are also advertised in the Education Gazette.)
Overseas teachers should rely only upon salaries as assessed by the Salary Assessment Unit.
You may be eligible for removal expenses, or for a relocation or recruitment allowance. Ask your potential employer, or seek advice from a PPTA field officer. Field officers can assist intending teachers with a range of advice.
Come Prepared
Bring certified copies of all necessary documents. These documents could include evidence of academic qualifications, teacher training, prior teaching service and other relevant work experience for which salary credit in NZ may be given.
The government website teachnz.govt.nz has more very good advice for intending teachers from overseas.
Things you will need to do:
- Have your qualifications assessed. The Teach NZ website sets out the process and provides links to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority website. (NZQA assesses the relative worth of overseas qualifications.)
- Contact the New Zealand Teachers Council. Anyone employed in the state education sector must be registered with the council. The Teach NZ website sets out the process here.
- Obtain a work permit, if needed. In order to teach in New Zealand, you will either need a work permit or permanent residency. (This does not apply if you are an Australian.) See the Immigration New Zealand website.
- If you are applying for a work permit for more than 12 months, or for permanent residency, you will need a medical certificate.
- If necessary, supply evidence that you are proficient in English. Unless you have completed your teacher training in a country where English is an official language, you will need to show evidence that you have passed an English language test such as IELTS.
- Have your salary assessed.
Salary assessment
Most secondary teachers in New Zealand are employed on the Secondary Teachers’ Collective Agreement (STCA). A few are employed under the Area Schools Teachers’ Collective Agreement (ASTCA). The salary scales are practically identical. The associated allowances are similar.
The assessment of a teacher’s overseas qualifications, training, teaching service and other relevant work experience, will allow that person to be placed upon the appropriate point on the salary scale of the relevant collective agreement.
NZQA will make a separate assessment of both a person’s academic qualifications and his or her teacher training. (This practice may differ from that of some overseas practices of assessment). For a teacher with overseas qualifications and /or teacher training the assessment must be done by NZQA before an assessment of teacher salary can be made.
In New Zealand salary assessments are made by the Salary Assessment Unit. Suitable evidence of the teacher’s qualifications and training (as assessed by NZQA) together with evidence relating to and prior teaching service or other relevant work service should be sent together with an Application for Salary Assessment Form (ESP 7t) to :
The Salary Assessment Unit P O Box 4044 Christchurch.
The form can be obtained from an individual school or from schoolpayroll.govt.nz.
Getting good advice relating to the necessary documentation for overseas qualifications, teacher training, prior teaching experience and relevant other work experience can be a complex matter. PPTA field officers can give individual assistance.
Information relating to teacher salaries may be found in the following PPTA booklets:
* Teacher Salaries Guide -Secondary Schools (being updated - contact
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for latest version)
* Teacher Salaries Guide -Area Schools (being updated - contact
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for latest version)
Likely delays and their effects
Overseas teachers need to allow for around three months to have their overseas qualifications assessed. This time will be increased if further documentation is required.
It may take a further two months or so for overseas teachers to have their salaries assessed by the Salary Assessment Unit. If further documentation relating to prior service is needed, an interim assessment will be made but a final assessment may take longer.
Intending teachers therefore need to make arrangements regarding assessment as soon as possible.
Once you have a teaching position
When an overseas teacher is appointed to his or her first teaching position in New Zealand, the school may be given a time allowance of 2.5 hours per week. This allowance means that a teacher’s timetabled classroom time should be
2.5 hours less than otherwise. The exact conditions of this entitlement are set out in STCA 3.8 (c) and ASTCA 2.18.
If a new teacher has never taught, then he or she may instead be eligible for a more generous beginning teachers’ time allowance.
Joining PPTA
By law your employer must give you advice about joining the union and about the relevant collective agreement you will be covered under if you opt to join.
PPTA membership forms can be downloaded from this webpage. A teacher will need to be in employment, with a MOE number, before joining PPTA.
 Download the Overseas teachers guide
Download the Immigrant teachers handbook
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