The Public Service Commissioner says giving about 10,000 non-union primary teachers the option to accept pay offers has been a long time coming.

Sir Brian Roche today confirmed boards can make individual employment offers to non-NZEI teachers from today, after the union rejected three recent deals.

Education Minister Erica Stanford says they can get pay rises of up to 4.7 percent within 12 months.

Roche says in a normal course of events, he'd carry on NZEI bargaining as usual.

"We are still keeping going with them, but I got to the point where I could no longer justify withholding an offer."

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