Area school teachers' study award
The Area School Teachers' Study Award provides paid leave to complete part-time or full-time study in an agreed educational priority area. You can apply for leave to:
- complete a qualification
- improve an existing qualification
- study to obtain qualifications in a new or different curriculum or subject area
- undertake research or other study of relevance and value to education
- obtain practical knowledge and skill-related experience in your subject area.
Each year there are seven full-time teacher equivalent (FTTE) study leave opportunities, with two study awards reserved for pursuing studies in te reo Māori or Māori immersion learning.
Applications for the 2025 Area School Teachers’ Study Awards are now open and will be closing on Wednesday 8 May 2024.
To apply for this award/sabbatical you are required to use your existing ESL role with an account and login. You can review your ESL account details here: https://applications.education.govt.nz/education-sector-logon-esl/how-use-esl/self-service
If you do not currently have an ESL role, please contact your school's Delegated Authoriser who will be able to set up an ESL role for you for the "Te Mahau Service Portal".
Please make sure you read all the webpages for information on the award before applying.
The Frequently Asked Questions can be found here.
Am I eligible for an Area School Teachers' Study Award?
If you wish to apply for an Area School Teachers' Study Leave Award, you must be:
- employed under the Area School Teachers' Collective Agreement (ASTCA) or applicable Individual Employment Agreement (IEA)
- permanently appointed
- a full-time or part-time teacher in a New Zealand state or state-integrated area school.
You cannot undertake a study award at the same time as being appointed to a Kāhui Ako | Community Teacher (across community/schools) role.
Contact Us
We're here to help. If you can't find the answer you're looking for in the application guidelines, get in touch with us by calling 0800 165 225 or email teacher.studyawards@education.govt.nz