About ISTANZ

Association Services

The Association represents the interests of all teachers and support staff in independent schools.

  • We provide a service to members to provide support, news, and professional advice.

  • As a registered union we seek to assist member schools go through the process of negotiating and bargaining their Agreements as required under the Employment Relations Act.

  • From time to time teachers and support staff will find themselves in conflict with their employing authority. We are able to provide advice and support.

ISTANZ Provides

  • Union status, with the supporting infrastructure that provides. ISTANZ is the Union under the Employment Relations Act serving independent schools nationwide. This enables you to have Collective Agreements in your school

  • Professional and employment support and advice

  • Legal Assistance up to $3,000.00 to enable initial legal advice with employment problems

  • Monitoring of conditions of service

  • Regular Newsletters

  • Monitoring the political scene

  • Paid administrative support

  • Liaison with the Independent Schools New Zealand, which represents the Boards and Principals of our schools

  • Employment Agreement advice and help with bargaining

  • Financial assistance for professional development

  • ISTANZ is the nationally recognized voice of teachers and support staff in independent schools

  • ISTANZ is your contact with other education organizations, both nationally and internationally, including a free subscription to the Australian journal Independent Education

  • ISTANZ argues that there is much to be gained in being mutually supportive, whilst still maintaining our special characters and independence. Independent schools and their teachers and support staff cannot afford to operate in isolation.

Our Story

From Small Beginnings

The Association began in 1967 at a meeting held at Dilworth School, Auckland. Those attending saw a need for a professional body representing the interest of teachers in independent schools. At first the organisation catered for secondary school teachers and as such was called the Independent Secondary Schools Assistant Teachers Association (ISSATA). It was not long before the secondary criterion was dropped and primary teachers became involved as well (ISATA). A further name change took place in 1989 when the word Assistant was dropped from the title and the Association assumed the name we have today (ISTANZ).

The Association Becomes National

Under the Kirk Labour Government of the early '70's, state aid to private schools was under review and cut back. This meant that many schools who ran to a tight budget, particularly the Catholic schools, found it difficult to continue. The Private Schools Conditional Integration Act was introduced to offer integration into the state system. There was seen a need to get involved with the politics of education. This gave the Association the impetus to become a national body, which was achieved at a meeting at Scots College in 1974. Ken Bray (St Kentigern College) became the National President and Neil Lambie (Scots College), the National Secretary.

The Association Develops

From the small beginnings the Association grew from strength to strength having at its height in the late '80's a membership of over 500. A very active National Executive ensured the Association involvement in the political issues of the time. In the May holidays the Annual Conference was well attended by teachers from all over the country. Some very interesting issues were discussed and the professional and social interaction saw to their success. For quite a number of year the Annual Conference was held in conjunction with the prep school and secondary schools heads associations AHIPS and AHISS later to combine to form the present AHIS), thus ensuring a useful link between teachers and heads. The Association has been involved in a variety of political issues over the years. On your behalf they have met with Ministers of Education, Opposition Spokesperson for Education, appeared before several Select Committees and submitted countless written submissions. We would like to think we have made a difference.

For nearly twenty years the Association ran on a regional basis and a national basis, but as more independent schools integrated and pressure son teachers increased fewer and fewer people were prepared to add yet more meetings to their list.

The Association Today

The Association is in the throes of a significant revival as union status encourages teachers to join to benefit from the collective bargaining aspects. It is run by a National Executive with representatives from schools throughout the country with representation by primary and secondary teachers. The Executive meet three to four times a year. The current policy is to invite schools to send an observer to the executive meetings.