Service / Qualification Increment:

The Service/Qualification Increment (“SQI”) is a payment of $2,000 per year that permanently appointed teachers who have completed at least 3 years’ service at the top of their qualification group can become eligible for. Clause 4.9 in the Secondary Teachers' Collective Agreement (STCA) and clause 3.18 in the Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement (ASTCA) provide more detail about the SQI for either secondary or area school teachers. 

You must successfully meet the standards/criteria for quality teaching in the respective Collective Agreement to be eligible. The other eligibility criteria differ slightly dependent on the Collective Agreement:

Under the STCA, the following applies: 
•    Teachers in qualification groups 1, 2, 3 or 3+ can apply to receive the Service Increment if they have completed an additional qualification comparable at least with Level 5 on the NQF if the teacher does not hold a permanent unit.  

•    Teachers who have been assessed as Level 5 or higher on the Whakamātauria Tō Reo Māori framework can be eligible for the service/qualification increment irrespective of whether the teacher holds a permanent unit.  
 
•    Teachers who entered teaching as G4, G5, H4 or H5 are eligible for the Service Increment after three years of service at the top of the scale without completing a further qualification.

The requirement of a Level 5 or higher qualification would cover a range of qualifications including certificates, graduate and post-graduate diplomas or even Masters qualifications that teachers may be working towards already.  Achieving these may not necessarily change a teacher’s basic salary group but when completed may make them eligible for this additional $2000. 

Area schools 

The criteria for area school teachers are different to those for secondary teachers. and may change further in 2026 once a new collective agreement is ratified. Area school teachers can hold up to three permanent units and remain eligible for the SQI. To review details of the area school teacher service increment provisions, please click on the link below.