‍_{Period of Employment}

From the Tuesday after Waitangi Day until December 16th at the latest. The exact dates of the contract are confirmed each year.

Hours of work

Language Assistants are expected to be at school for 6 hours on each work day. During that time, they will usually have up to 4 hours of contact time as well as some time for preparing resources and lessons.

Holidays

Language Assistants are not required to work during school holidays when the school is closed for instruction and are paid their regular salary during holiday periods during the period of employment. Language Assistants are not entitled to accrue annual leave to be paid out at the end of the year; annual leave must be incorporated into Term breaks.

Selection of Schools

• Tui Tuia | Learning Circle is recognised by applicant schools as the sole decision-making body in the allocation of Language Assistants, mandated by the MoE - as a condition of participation in the programme.
• Tui Tuia | Learning Circle is bound to consider requests from schools for a particular Language Assistant but is not obliged to grant them if the panel identifies a greater need for their services elsewhere.
• Private schools are eligible to apply for an assistant, and their application will be considered, but priority will be given to state and state-integrated schools.
• Priority will be given to schools who have not had a Language Assistant for three consecutive years unless the school has a new teacher who needs urgent support.

Tui Tuia | Learning Circle covers:

• Orientation and debrief costs, including domestic travel and accommodation, as well as airport transfers for Language Assistants posted outside of Auckland.
• 1/3 of the cost of employing an assistant with participating schools covering the balance. Tui Tuia | Learning Circle covers approximately $7,502.87 (French and German) - $8776.86 (Spanish) per annum excl. GST (2021)
• Travel allowance for travel between schools, up to $800 per year (costs above $800 are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
• Mandatory Debrief Day in Auckland for Language Assistants - Scheduled for mid-late November each year.

New Zealand School covers:

• 2/3 of the cost of employing a Language Assistant. The 2023 annual cost to a school per (1) school 6 hours / day is $3751.44 for French and German, and $4,388.43 for Spanish.
• With Tui Tuia | Learning Circle’s contribution, the total annual salary is $22,508.62 for French and German (24 hours per week) and $26,330.58 for Spanish (24 hours per week).

Host School Responsibilities

Language Assistants are generally employed by a group of up to five schools, with one of those schools, named as host school, being technically the "employer".

Host schools are responsible for Language Assistants’ salaries. Salary instructions are provided by the Tui Tuia | Learning Circle and salaries are calculated in the salary spreadsheet provided by the MoE.

Host Schools are responsible for the following aspects of the programme:

• An appropriate staff member (usually a host teacher) is asked to sign the Tui Tuia | Learning Circle Agreement/ Declaration Form.
• Sending an email welcome to the LA on behalf of itself and partner schools and specify the exact date upon which the LA is expected to take up duties and at which school, if the LA is shared by several schools.
• Provide the LA with the names of the Principal, Deputy Principal, Head of Languages and language teachers they will be working with in their group of schools.
• Preparation of an outline of expected teaching duties, school dress code, materials to bring etc.
• Providing/assisting with suitable temporary/permanent accommodation on LA’s arrival, with details of location and approximate cost.
• Obtaining arrival flight details and ensuring that someone will be at the airport to meet them.
• Liaison with other schools in group (partner schools) to determine the LA’s timetable which should be agreeable to all concerned, be consistent with the IEA and be communicated clearly to the Language Assistant.
• Assist the Language Assistant additionally as required and communicate any challenges to the National Language Adviser (Tui Tuia | Learning Circle) or the Programme Coordinator.
• Assist the Language Assistants with gaining Host School and contributing schools’ principals sign-off of two copies of the Individual Employment Agreement (IEA)

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