New Zealand will mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II with a one-off public holiday on Monday 26 September 2022. This means that all state and state-integrated schools and kura will be closed on this day.

We are mindful that this situation will not have been anticipated and as such will require additional considerations.

Normal public holiday requirements under the Holidays Act apply. Teachers and principals will be paid as usual. All support and casual staff should also be paid for the public holiday, on the basis of the number of hours they would normally work, if Monday 26 September is a day that they would usually work.

If your school had confirmed a booking with a relief teacher to work on Monday 26 September, an employment agreement was entered into between the school and the reliever which means the employee is entitled to be paid for the hours they were booked, despite the school now being closed for the public holiday.

It may be the case that some schools have booked and paid for camps, which may fall on 26 September. In the first instance schools may wish to consult with any providers of activities, accommodation, food and transport to confirm any change of arrangement caused by the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day.

Schools should also consult with their staff on how best to proceed with the camp. In the event that the camp goes ahead on 26 September schools will need to be mindful of the requirements of the Holidays Act, which requires that employees who are required to work on a public holiday are paid at time and a half. They are also entitled to a paid day off in lieu.

As you will be aware from yesterday’s special edition of He Pitopito Kōrero | School Leaders Bulletin the Government has removed the COVID-19 Protection Framework and we have moved to a new long-term approach to managing COVID-19.

Below is further guidance for schools and kura.

As noted yesterday, masks are no longer strongly recommended in school settings reflecting advice from public health.  If you haven’t already reviewed your mask policy setting for your school, you may wish to do so to ensure it aligns with this latest advice.

Masks can continue to be one of a number of tools (layers of protection) that can be used to minimise spread of infectious illnesses in school, if your risk assessment determines this action is warranted. An example of this might be where absences due to COVID-19 and winter illness are impacting your ability to remain open onsite.

Please continue to support those who choose to wear a mask over and above any school policies.

The mask exemption pass and other mask exemptions (for example people under 12) only apply in settings where mask wearing is mandated by the new mask Health Order. However, if you are continuing with a mask policy in your school for now, we would encourage you to rely on the exemption pass.

Please hold onto your existing stock of masks or issue them to your school community as needed.

More information on masks is on the Ministry of Health website:

COVID-19: Use of face masks in the community – Ministry of Health

Household contacts, including those who have not had COVID-19 in the past 90 days, do not need to isolate for seven days. Household contacts are recommended to test daily for five days from when the case in their household tests positive and wear a mask when they are out. If they subsequently test positive, they will be considered a ‘case’ and be required to complete seven days of isolation.

Household contacts who have COVID-19 symptoms should stay home regardless of the result of their rapid antigen test (RAT).

People with COVID-19 must continue to self-isolate for seven days.

Your staff can be encouraged to advise you if they are a household contact, so that you can discuss how they will approach this situation including:

• whether additional risk-management actions are appropriate or
• where the employee wishes to work from home for health and safety reasons.

However, children, students and staff are not required to advise you they are a household contact. You should also not ask for evidence of a negative RAT test to enable attendance at school.

Household contacts currently isolating can now follow the new self-isolation guidelines. If they test negative and are asymptomatic, they do not need to self-isolate.

COVID-19: Information for household and close contacts – Ministry of Health

COVID-19 remains a severe and highly infectious disease and you will continue to have people in your community who are vulnerable to becoming very unwell.

It may therefore be timely to review your health and safety plans for those more vulnerable individuals. Your plans may include:

• reducing the numbers of staff working in close contact with the individual
• ensuring ākonga are positioned in well ventilated parts of school spaces while indoors
• building a class culture of manaakitanga that supports good hygiene habits
• staff working in close contact with a vulnerable person wearing a well-fitted, medical grade mask.

For those who are deaf and hard of hearing, go to our Te Mahau website:

Additional tips on face masks – Te Mahau

You may also wish to check that the family is aware of the continuing protections which include:

• free vaccinations
• free boosters for eligible people
• free P2/N95 masks for eligible people
• free RATs (rapid antigen tests)
• free antiviral medication for eligible people, including widening eligibility criteria to all New Zealanders 65 and over, all Māori and Pacific peoples aged 50 and over and those with three high-risk medication conditions.

New criteria can be found at:

COVID-19 medicines - Ministry of Health

Further information for those at higher risk – Ministry of Health

We have updated the COVID-19 content on our Te Mahau website, including removing reference to the COVID-19 Protection Framework and Red, Orange and Green. As a result, some of the URLs have had to change.

The following links on Te Mahau will help you quickly get to the information you may need:

COVID-19 health and safety response

guidance for school hostels

supporting ākonga at higher risk of illness

managing staff (including additional relief teacher funding and disregarded sick leave)

ventilation in schools

mask supply for schools

distance learning.

Erika Ross and Steve Lindsey talk to more principals about their experiences with leading their school communities through the pandemic.  

Watch these new video summaries:

Hurunui College – Area school challenges

Tauranga Special School – Organisation is the key

Dunstan High School – A privilege to lead

You can find the series so far on Te Mahau website:

Navigating COVID-19: School leaders reflect – Te Mahau

We recently updated you on the KiwiSaver remediation and loss-of-investment-earnings project. We have now paid remediation and compensation for the loss-of-investment-earnings to 52,029 current and former school employees enrolled in KiwiSaver. We also remediated 462 current school employees who have exited KiwiSaver and were owed remediation from contribution errors. 

We are now ready to make payments to 2,747 former employees who have exited KiwiSaver and were owed remediation and contribution payments. Affected former employees can register at:

Schools payroll remediation – Ministry of Education

On Thursday 15 September, we will be contacting these affected former employees to let them know about the remediation and compensation payment and how it is being made.

The affected former employees (including the estates of deceased employees) will need to provide us with additional information, including their nominated bank account, relevant tax code and validation details, before payment of remediation and loss-of-investment-earnings compensation can be paid.

We will make payments to the individual employees’ bank accounts once they respond with this information. This will take four to six weeks from the date the affected former employees’ details are validated.

To ensure no one will be left disadvantaged, the compensation for the loss-of-investment-earnings has been calculated using the investment returns from the highest performing KiwiSaver default scheme growth fund. We have worked with PwC to ensure that the compensation for loss-of-investment earnings payment has been calculated correctly. 

More information about the payments is available on our website:

KiwiSaver remediation and compensation – Ministry of Education

On Monday 19 September, your school or kura will receive a letter on the School Data Portal outlining your 1 October 2022 estimated funding instalment for the pay equity settlements and collective bargaining agreements.

This estimated funding instalment includes the following funding components:

• Administration Support Staff Pay Equity Settlement: 2021 and 2022 estimated settlement funding
• Kaiārahi i te reo Pay Equity Settlement: 2021 and 2022 estimated settlement funding
• Support Staff in Schools’ Collective Agreement (SSSCA) and Kaiārahi i te reo and Therapists 2022: 2022 estimated settlement funding
• Teacher Aide Pay Equity Settlement and the Support Staff in Schools’ Collective Agreement (SSSCA) 2019: Quarter 4 estimated funding.

Further information about these funding calculations about pay equity and collective bargaining can be found on our website:

Pay equity – Ministry of Education

Collective bargaining – Ministry of Education

Direct any queries about the settlement and collective bargaining funding to ohumahi.support@education.govt.nz or you can call us on 0800 114 117 (option 1).

Applications for hybrid learning support will be closing at the end of Term 3 2022. Schools and kura will have until the end of Term 3 to approach their regional offices for support with their applications.

We regret that this is announced on short notice, but we want to ensure that those seeking to apply for this fund have the most up to date information.

As demand for hybrid learning support has reduced, this targeted support will not be resuming in Term 4 2022.

Hybrid learning support – Professional Learning Development

We are consulting on a proposal to reintroduce the Export Education Levy (EEL) on 1 January 2023 at the same rates as when the Levy was suspended of 0.50% of international student tuition fees for schools.

Export Education Levy - Ministry of Education

We know that the impact of COVID-19 on students and the impact of required border measures has reduced the current size of the international education sector. With the international border open for students since August 2022 we are now looking at reintroducing the levy.

We are keen on hearing your views. Do you support the proposal to reintroduce the levy for 2023? Then contact us at EEL.consultation@education.govt.nz.

More information is available on the Kōrero Mātauranga website:

Export Education Levy reintroduction after suspension – Kōrero Mātauranga

Information and eligibility criteria to apply for extraordinary roll growth funding for 2022 is now on our website:

Extraordinary roll growth funding – Ministry of Education

Please follow the link above to determine if your school is eligible for extraordinary roll growth.  

The 2022 application period is from Tuesday 1 to Friday 18 November. Applications are unable to be accepted outside of this period.  

If you have any questions about the application processes, contact us at resourcing@education.govt.nz.

The 2023 private school subsidy funding circular is now published on our website. The circular can be found here:

Circular 2023/08: Private School Subsidy Funding 2023 – Ministry of Education

Young people aged 13 to 25 are eligible for free vaccination against Meningococcal disease if they are in their first year of living in a:

• boarding school
• hostel
• university hall of residence.

Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand have created a new poster and flyer promoting meningococcal vaccination to young people living in shared accommodation settings.

Download the leaflet and poster if you would like to share them with your school community.

Here’s a link to Meningococcal vaccine resources:

Meningococcal vaccination leaflet and poster – Dropbox

If you have students preparing for end-of-year exams in NCEA Levels 1 to 3 English, Maths or Science, let them know that StudyIt forums have reopened:

NCEA help from real students and teachers – StudyIt

Teacher Development Aotearoa will be facilitating StudyIt forums for students to discuss NCEA achievement standards and seek general study and exam advice, including tips on how to study smart.

Teacher Development Aotearoa

We recently sent out new maths resources to schools as part of our 2022 maths support package.

The resources have been designed to provide you and your teachers with information about what is needed for ākonga from Year 1 to 8 to receive rich learning experiences and a full diet of maths education.

A balanced maths diet is a quick reference sheet for teachers to support your curriculum design. The Leading mathematics teaching and learning in years 1-8 brochure supports school leaders on how to best support maths teaching in your school.

You’re welcome to share these resources with your staff, and can find online copies on the TKI website:

Leading mathematics teaching and learning resources – TKI

We have partnered with New Zealand Association of Intermediate Middle Schooling (NZAIMS) to develop a series of video case studies showcasing how three middle schools have integrated the revised technology learning area into their local curriculum.

The case studies are great examples of ākonga working together on challenging, authentic technology projects.

The videos come with written resources that annotate each story, and unpack the key technology concepts:

• what and how ākonga are learning
• the steps that schools have taken to make their technology teaching such a success.

Please feel free to share these case studies with your teams as you work together to further develop teaching and learning in technology at your school.

The case studies are available through Technology Online:

Technology Online - TKI

The Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) national satisfaction survey has been undertaken annually since 2013 except for 2020 when the survey was not sent out due to COVID-19.

This provides a snapshot of the level of satisfaction of principals and teachers with the support provided by RTLB.

The RTLB national service satisfaction survey is used to understand satisfaction in the service nationally, regionally and locally and improve planning and service delivery at the cluster level.

The online 2022 survey opened Monday 12 September and continues to Friday 23 September 5pm and can be completed in English or te reo Māori.

You will receive a link to the survey from your local RTLB cluster manager.

For additional information about this survey contact RTLB.enquiries@education.govt.nz

The Awards for Gifted Learners offers ākonga, from early childhood to school leaving age, an opportunity to extend and challenge themselves in areas in which they excel.

This award supports learners to extend their curious minds and out of the box thinking through creative projects, testing a hypothesis or other unique opportunities.

Applications can be submitted for an individual or a group of learners. The awards can provide funding of up to $2,500 per individual or $5,000 per group, for a 12-month period maximum. 

Applications close 4pm Friday 30 September.

For more information go to the TKI website:

Awards for gifted learners – TKI

Watch Redeeming Revolution (Verses in Vision: Truths of Tamaki) written and performed by Alani, Kate, Jazmin and Eniselini students at Marcelin College Auckland and members of the 617 Poets Collective who were recipients of the Awards for Gifted Learners:

Redeeming Revolution (Verses in Vision: Truths of Tamaki – YouTube

Kia Manawaroa is the Ministry’s dedicated newsletter for whānau Māori with kids in education.

The latest issue is out now, and we encourage you to share it by copying and pasting the information below into your regular communications with whānau.

If you would like to share good news about something happening in your community, contact us on kia.manawaroa@education.govt.nz.

Find out how to submit an article and other information about Kia Manawaroa:

Kia Manawaroa – Education: For parents and whānau

Here is the recommended copy for your communications with whānau in te reo Māori and in English:

Ko te kaupapa matua o Kia Manawaroa, he whakapāho pānui mo ngā whānau Māori me ā rātou tamariki e noho ana ki raro i te tawharau o Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga.

Kua tuhituhia e te Māori mō ngai Māori epaana ki ngā kowhiringa me ngā pae tawhiti ki roto i te mātauranga, ngā tutukitanga o ngāi Māori hei Māori me te whakahoutia o te kōwheori mō ngā whānau.

Ānei te pānui hou:

Kia Manawaroa 9 September 2022

Kua puta mai te perehitanga me ngā mohiotanga mō:

• Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2022 activities and events
• He Toa Reo Māori, 50 years on: Te Petihana Reo Māori Anniversary Event
• Ākonga learn resilience through the art of Mau Rākau
• New scholarships available for kōhanga reo tohu
• Te Reo Ki Tua Language Revitalisation Symposium 2022
• And more…

Whakahoki kōrero mai

He kōrero ano mō Kia Manawaroa

Ohauru mai kia whiwhi i ngā pārongo hou

Kia Manawaroa is the Ministry of Education’s pānui for whānau Māori.

It is written by Māori for Māori, with information about opportunities and milestones in education, Māori success as Māori, Te Reo Māori, and COVID-19 updates relevant to whānau as and when appropriate.

Kia Manawaroa 9 September 2022

The latest issue has updates about:

• Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2022 activities and events
• He Toa Reo Māori, 50 years on: Te Petihana Reo Māori Anniversary Event
• Ākonga learn resilience through the art of Mau Rākau
• New scholarships available for kōhanga reo tohu
• Te Reo Ki Tua Language Revitalisation Symposium 2022
• And more…

Give us your feedback

Find out more about Kia Manawaroa

Subscribe to get the latest issue straight to your inbox

Students at Papakura’s Edmund Hilary school are embracing the joys of physical activity for wellbeing, with more students and teachers enjoying the Health and PE (HPE) curriculum.

It’s one result of quality PLD for teachers, and other support, provided by its local Healthy Active Learning Team.

A joint-government initiative from Sport NZ and the Ministries of Education and Health, Healthy Active Learning supports schools to develop quality physical activity and healthy food and drink environments to enhance young people’s wellbeing.

Read about exactly how the South Auckland primary school transformed its approach to physical activity, through listening to the voices of students and teachers, here:

Valued HPE curriculum boosts student engagement – Sport New Zealand | Ihi Aotearoa

Girls at Waikowhai intermediate are claiming their turf with the establishment of their own Wai-walkers group.

An alternative to the Wai-runners group, dominated by boys, its one result of the school-wide transformation of the physical activity environment at the Auckland intermediate.  

Supported by its local Healthy Active Learning team, teachers have embraced a more holistic and inclusive approach to the Health and PE (HPE) Curriculum and physical activity.

A joint-government initiative from Sport NZ and the Ministries of Education and Health, Healthy Active Learning supports schools to develop quality physical activity and healthy food and drink environments to enhance young people’s wellbeing.

Read about how Healthy Active Learning has supported teachers to be more competent, and enjoy, delivering the HPE curriculum here:

School embraces more inclusive mindset to physical activity – Sport New Zealand | Ihi Aotearoa