Pay rise for special education staff

Support workers who help special needs children have got a four to five per cent pay raise, the New Zealand Educational Institute says.

The pay increase will put more money in the pockets of 250 support workers, most of whom work with special needs children in early childhood education centres.

They help psychologists, speech language therapists and other specialists , often working with pupils with severe behavioural difficulties.

Staff at the bottom of the pay scale would jump from $11.64 per hour to $12.11, while those at the top would go from $15.60 to $16.40 an hour.

- NZPA