Wednesday, 8 October 2025
Description
Attend and earn 1 PLD hour
Attend and earn 1 CPD hour
* This interactive online recording includes questions and quizzes requiring critical thinking about the topics, so you have no annual limits to the number of points/hours you can claim with this format of learning. Please verify with your CPD rules
Learning Objectives:
- Understand how recent legislative changes affect school employment and governance
- Identify the practical implications of reforms to employment, pay equity, and health and safety laws
Chair
Maria Mckenzie, Cluster Manager Remutaka Resource Teacher Learning and Behaviour, Masterton Primary School
A Change Gon’ Come – Recent Workplace Legislative Changes and their Implications for Schools
The coalition government’s reform agenda extends beyond just curriculum and
attendance. Explore three key employment law legislative changes:
- Employment Relations Act 2000 – why the onboarding process for school employees is about to change and how the door has been opened to a different approach to school employees undertaking partial strike action
- Equal Pay Act 1972 – why the changed pay equity claim mechanism makes it harder for school employees and their unions to raise and progress claims
- Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 – how a focusing on the responsibilities of governors may result in more health and safety work falling to the principal
Presented by Maynard Scott, National Employment Relations Advisor, Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa, New Zealand School Boards Association
Presenters
Maynard Scott, National Employment Relations Advisor, Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa, New Zealand School Boards AssociationMaynard Scott is an in-house lawyer as part of his role as National Employment Relations Advisor at Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa – New Zealand School Boards Association (formerly known as NZSTA). In this role, he provides counsel for the organisation’s network of advisors, is a representative for state and state-integrated school board employers during the bargaining for education sector collective bargaining and pay equity claims and, working with the Ministry of Education and unions, guides the implementation of bargaining and claim settlements within schools in New Zealand. Alongside this work, he is a member of the Committee of the New Zealand Chapter of Australia New Zealand Education Law Association and has contributed to the International Journal of Law and Education. Before employment law, Maynard served two terms on his school’s board, tutored Criminal law and night-managed a university hall of residence home to 300 students.
Maria Mckenzie, Cluster Manager Remutaka Resource Teacher Learning and Behaviour, Masterton Primary School
Maria leads a team of itinerant specialist teachers who work across 53 schools in the Wairarapa and Upper Hutt region alongside education and service providers, to identify local needs and resources, and plan support based on the evidence of what works, to best support children and young people to learn, thrive and belong. She has leadership experience and has held governance leadership roles across educational, health, community and not for profit sectors. With an academic background in Psychology, Neuroscience and Education, Counselling and Small Business management Maria has worked across a wide range of sectors supporting people and organisations to embrace and manage transitions and change.
