Stuff political editor Tracy Watkins talks to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who suggests teachers should have stayed around the negotiating table longer before deciding to strike.

Primary school teachers have voted to strike and will walk off the job in the week of November 12.

Teachers and principals closed a secret online ballot on Thursday night, in which members agreed to a week of rolling strikes next month, New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa said in a notice to members.

The union and the Ministry of Education will "urgently" seek facilitated bargaining under the Employment Relations Act, the ministry advised.

BRADEN FASTIER/STUFF Hundreds of teachers, parents and students gathered across the country during the national primary school teachers' and principals' strike in August.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins said that would advance the process to help reach settlements on primary principals' and teachers' collective agreements.

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"There's a lot of water still to go under the bridge before the proposed industrial action is due to take place."

Teachers and principals rejected the Ministry of Education's latest pay offer in September after they went on strike in August, affecting more than 460,000 primary and intermediate pupils.

The one-day rolling strikes, from November 12 to 16, would take place on different days throughout the country, beginning with Auckland and then finishing with Wellington.

Whetu Cormack, president of the New Zealand Principals Association, said the result would not surprise principals across the country who overwhelmingly supported the vote to strike.

CAMERON BURNELL/STUFF New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa president Lynda Stuart said earlier this month its members did not believe the Government's offers adequately addressed a sector in "crisis".

NZEI Te Riu Roa president Lynda Stuart said earlier this month its members did not believe the Government's offers adequately addressed a sector in "crisis".

A vote "yes" to strike would begin one-day rolling strikes from Monday, November 12, to Friday, November 16. The dates would fall on different days throughout the country: beginning with Auckland, then finishing with Wellington.

The Government could avoid the potential strike action if it came back with an improved offer, she said then.

"Strike action is always a last resort. Parents understand that ultimately this is all about the future of their children's education."

New Zealand Principals' Federation president Whetu Cormick said in September he had received a "mixed response" from principals.

He believed the Ministry would have to better address resourcing issues in order to resolve the standoff, with strikes or rolling stoppages seen as the "worst-case scenario".

Under the revised offers, teachers at the top of the pay scale would earn staggered salary rises from $75,949 to $82,992 a year by 2020.

Principals with a roll of fewer than 50 students would take home $92,976 – up from $81,553 – as well as receiving a $2320 leadership payment.

Entry-level teachers who started on $47,980 would move up each year to an eventual starting point of $53,429 in 2020.

September's revised deal responded to criticism June's offer was weighted too heavily in favour of new teachers.