Primary teachers have been given a new pay offer - more for experienced teachers, but less than the previous offer for beginning teachers.

The Ministry of Education has offered a flat 3 per cent pay rise each year for the next three years across the pay scale, giving all teachers a cumulative 9.3 per cent pay rise by 2020.

But the effect is a reduced pay rise for beginner teachers than the ministry's original offer of an extra $2300 to $2400 a year for beginners.

The new offer would lift pay for beginners with a teaching degree from $47,980 now to only $52,429 by 2020, down from the first offer of $55,030 and well below a claim by the NZ Educational Institute (NZEI) of 16 per cent over two years, or $55,657 by 2019.

However, the new offer narrows the gap between the two sides for more experienced teachers. The top of the basic salary scale, for teachers with at least seven years' experience, would go up from $75,949 now to $82,992, up from $80,599 under the initial offer but still well short of the NZEI claim of $88,101.

NZEI's teacher lead negotiator Liam Rutherford said members would now "consider whether the offers addressed the needs of children and their learning".

"It also remains to be seen whether parents and the wider public think the offer would make a difference for children," he said.

"As teachers and principals we can see that the issues in our schools simply can't wait any longer and our students' learning is already being negatively affected because of the difficulty in recruiting and retaining teachers.

"Member leaders are not making any recommendation to the wider membership about whether to reject or accept the offer."

If the offers are rejected there will be further consultation with members, and at the NZEI annual conference in early October, where members will make recommendations about next steps.

Teachers who attended rallies in a national one-day strike on August 15 have already indicated in straw votes that they would support a further two-day national strike if necessary.

Ministry of Education head Iona Holsted said the new offer "responds to the union's concerns the first offer was too heavily weighted towards new teachers, and increases the quantum".

"It provides a cumulative increase of 9.3 per cent over three years; to teachers a 3 per cent increase for all teachers each year, over the next three years," she said.

"The first increase will take effect when the collective agreement is settled, the second increase 12 months later and the third 24 months later.

"The cost of the ministry's offer for teachers and principals is $569 million over four years."