The increase is part of an agreement made between the Ministry of Education and education sector unions last year and has been rolled out across the country during terms one and three, with further increases to follow in January 2025.
Ministry of Education workforce hautu Anna Welanyk said the amount of classroom release time (CRT) provided for primary and intermediate teachers, and area teachers teaching years 1-6, increased from 10 to 15 hours per term in term one and to 20 hours from July 22.
"The intent of CRT is to support teacher workload while maximising benefits for student learning," she said.
"CRT entitlements in the PTCA provide classroom teachers with time out of the classroom each term to do non-contact work such as planning, evaluation, reporting, personal professional development, research, syndicate meetings.
"Unless agreed otherwise, teachers usually stay on-site during their allocated CRT. During their absence from the classroom, the teacher’s class is taught by another teacher.
"The changes mean fulltime teachers will get a total of two and a-half hours per week or 25 hours of classroom release time per term from January 28, 2025. This is pro-rated for part-time teachers of at least 0.8 full-time teacher equivalent."
Te Tipua School principal Gareth Scott said the increase was "absolutely beneficial" for teachers.
"We are losing heaps of good teachers, and we can’t afford to do that. The increase to CRT is one step in creating a better workplace by supporting teachers, looking after them and keeping good teachers in their jobs."
He said some schools might find it challenging initially to find relief teachers.
"It will take some time, but the benefits will outweigh the challenges."
Mataura School principal Susan Dennison said the increase was ultimately about the children.
"The increase to CRT will provide opportunities for teachers to work one-to-one with students, particularly those who need more support, in a more, timely manner. Some kids need time to pause and think.
"It will also provide an opportunity for teachers who share classes to work together. It’s all about the kids making progress and keeping them engaged in learning.
"It will make a big difference in retaining quality teaching staff as well."
She said managing the increase would be an ongoing process for all schools.
"Lots of bigger schools have already been working with the changes, adapting them to work in with their schedules. Some are running their CRT over a whole day while others are organising it as an hour a week. It all depends on the school, the students and their needs."
