Certainty there is a case for investigating whether sexism is lowering teacher's pay.

The Ministry of Education is looking into whether teachers are paid badly because of gender, a claim made by the Post Primary Teachers' Association and the Educational Institute.

The majority of teachers are women with a base pay scale ranging from $51,000- $90,000 annually.

New Zealand Work Research Institute associate director Katherine Ravenswood says decades of research has shown female-dominated occupations are paid less.

"Partly because of how we view women's work, but also because of gender discrimination where we just pay women less."

LISTEN ABOVE

• Secondary teachers strike, focus on recruitment and retention
• Teachers likely to strike again over latest pay offer
• Figures show 3,000 relief teachers have left the profession in last decade