Teaching in New Zealand

New Zealand is a popular teach-abroad destination and there is a huge demand for teachers in the country.

The pathway towards reaching your goal to teach in New Zealand entails meeting specific requirements and standards set out by the Teaching Council of New Zealand.

Teaching Council of New Zealand pre-requirements for Overseas Trained Teachers are as follows:

The first step is understanding the basic requirements an overseas teacher must fulfil to be qualified to teach in New Zealand.

Qualification Assessment by NZQA

You should have a tertiary level qualification that is equivalent to Level 7 of the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF). Additionally, you will be required to get your qualification assessed by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). NZQA will assess the qualification for equivalency to NZ. In some cases, you may be exempt from getting your qualification assessed. However, the exemption for the assessment is only for checking the equivalency to NZ qualification. Even if the applicant is allowed exemption from the assessment, there is still a requirement to undergo the process of applying to the Teachers Council to be eligible to teach in NZ.

Meet the English language proficiency

You must meet the English Language requirement. Anyone studying to become a teacher or applying for teaching registration or certificate must meet the English language competency requirements. Eg. IELTS 7 in each band. Click here for more information regarding language proficiency.

Meet the health & character requirements

The other prerequisites include your health and character. You must have good health and good character.

There are 2 pathways to teach in New Zealand.

Pathway 1

Once you meet the above pre-requisite requirements, you can apply for registration to the Teaching Council of New Zealand.

For information about NZ Teacher’s Registration for the teachers trained overseas and who want to teach in New Zealand can be found here

You can also contact Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd. for Teaching Registration Assistance.

Pathway 2 (Study pathway)

If you are unable to get yourself registered as an overseas teacher directly, then you may consider studying a course in New Zealand that leads to teacher registration.

Qualifications needed by overseas teachers or graduates to teach in New Zealand

You will need to complete any one of the following:

A Graduate Diploma in Teaching
Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning
Master of Teaching
Master of Teaching and Learning

Apart from the above qualification, you also need to be registered with the Teaching Council of New Zealand and have a current practising certificate.

Several options for undergraduates are also available if someone is interested in studying in New Zealand.

In New Zealand, there is a high demand for early childhood education and primary school teachers.

How much do teachers earn in New Zealand?

Teachers may take on either a teaching job in early childhood teaching or as primary or secondary school teachers or university lecturers. Apart from this, the teachers can also take up management or specialist roles, such as head of department, curriculum specialist, or leading teachers of a particular year-group. These roles are paid an additional remuneration of about $4,000 per year.

New early childhood teachers earn between NZ $45,000 – $74,000 per annum. Teachers with 5+ years of experience earn NZ$ 74,000 – $98,000 annually.

New primary school teachers earn between NZ $48,000 – $52,000 per annum. Teachers with 5+ years of experience earn NZ$ 71,000 – $80,0 000 annually.

New secondary school teachers are paid NZ$ 52,000 – 57,000per annum. Teachers with 5+ years of experience earn NZ$ 71,000 – $80,000 annually.

Heads of department, senior management and school principal leadership are paid at a higher pay scale.

Boarding and independent private sector schools have their own wage brackets for teachers.

Teachers who teach in schools that are hard to staff may earn an extra $3,500 in their third, fourth and fifth years.

Teaching offers you not only a challenging and rewarding career but a chance to share your knowledge and help future generations learn and thrive.

Source: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3

FAQ’s

How do I become a teacher in New Zealand? / I am already a teacher in my home country and want to teach in New Zealand. What should I do?

To be able to teach in New Zealand, one must meet the requirements of the Teaching Council of New Zealand (listed above). If you meet the prerequisites, then you can apply for a Teacher Registration and teach in New Zealand.

If you are unable to get the registration, then you consider the study pathway ie. studying a course in New Zealand that leads to teacher registration.

What qualifications do I need to have in order to teach in New Zealand?

The qualification depends on whether you want to become an Early Childhood Education (ECE) teacher, primary school teacher, secondary school teacher or some other teacher.

Please contact Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd for more information.

Are there any pre-approved teaching qualifications that do not require an International Qualification Assessment for teaching in New Zealand?

There are some pre-approved teaching qualifications. However, the qualification should not be for Early Childhood Education (ECE). To know more about the exempt qualification contact IANZ.

Is an English Language proficiency test a requirement? / Is it mandatory to do an English Language proficiency test to teach in New Zealand?

How much does a teacher earn in New Zealand?

There is a huge demand for teachers in New Zealand and this is a relatively well-paying job. The pay-range depends on whether you are an Early Childhood Education (ECE) teacher, primary school teacher, secondary school teacher as well as your experience.