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Welcome to the Office of Early Childhood Education
National and public adviser on ECE, the OECE is a sector body representing teachers and all types of licensed services driving safer, higher‑quality education for every child
View our positions
- Provides membership support to ECE services, teachers, researchers, and community partners
- Actively contributes to sector analysis, research, and policy development
- Advances evidence-based best practices that prioritise children’s interests and wellbeing
View the Code of Conduct for ECE Services
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Teacher Member Posts
Earthquake Drills, the Turtle Drop and Best Practice
Earthquake Drills and the Turtle Drop
OPINIONBy Warwick Marshall
A big earthquake shakes while you’re in the kitchen at your house. What do you do?
Of course you throw yourself to the floor and drop like a turtle. Yeah right! Adults are known to wait to see if an earthquake is going to get stronger seemingly with
Child E-Portfolios
E-Portfolios in Early Childhood Education. By Julia Button.
This article describes and discusses the use and place of e-portfolios in early childhood education. Considerations for using e-portfolios and limitations are outlined. A special section looks at the involvement and contribution of families and others to children’s e-portfolio
The Place of Travel in Teachers’ Professional Development
Travel in Teachers’ Professional Development. By Kathy Goouch and Hazel Bryan.
There has been increasing interest shown by those concerned with young children’s learning in international policy and practice. By travelling ourselves, we sought to understand the imperative for practitioners to look beyond their own geographical and cultural
Lunch, Rest, and Breastfeeding Breaks – What You Must Receive and What to Do When You Don’t
Early childhood employees have legal rights to rest, meal, and breastfeeding breaks.
Working with young children is rewarding -but it’s also busy, demanding, and nonstop. Many early childhood teachers and employees tell us they’re unsure about what breaks they’re actually entitled to, especially when every service seems to make arrangements differently.
We explain your entitlements and what to do when your employer isn’t meeting the law.
Log in with your member details to read more. If your membership has lapsed and you’d like to renew – or if you’re interested in becoming a member – just get in touch with us and we’ll help you get started.
The good news is:
1. The law is clear
2. ECE services are not exempt. You have minimum break entitlements, and your employer must make sure you can take them.
Service Provider Member Posts
Dismissal Letter
EXAMPLE LETTER OF DISMISSAL.
Below is a general draft letter of dismissal to assist you in learning how a letter can be constructed, and what things you need to consider including in it,
Private and Confidential
DATE:
Dear <Insert Name>
Termination of your employment
This letter is to formally advise you of the termi
Domestic Violence Leave
Domestic violence leave guidelines.
Asking for proof and how to treat an employee who is, or is suspected to be, affected by domestic violence
As an employer you can accept any type of proof that an employee is affected by domestic violence. Proof may, for example, take the form of: a letter or email about what’s going on and how it
Right of Entry Policy
Regulations require that certain groups of people, including parents, union staff, and public officials, have a right of entry to the early childhood service under certain conditions, and set out the responsibilities of the early childhood service.
Below is a Right of Entry Policy and a set of procedures for different situations. Adapt and re-w
Managing Staff Drug and Alcohol Impairment
Ensuring that staff are not impaired by drugs or alcohol is a fundamental responsibility for every ECE service.
Staff whose behaviour or ability to function is affected by illicit drugs, controlled substances, or alcohol present a serious safety risk.
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Contents – NZ Research in ECE Journal, 2013, Vol 16
This issue spans Kaupapa Māori‑informed research, everyday teacher–child interactions, the construction of teacher identities, mentoring in field‑based programmes, the ethics of observation, and critical discourse analysis of assessment resources.
Characteristics of Optimal Early Childhood Centre Outdoor Environments: Spaces and Places in which Children and Adults Want to Be
The purpose of this project was to investigate what teachers deemed optimal in their provision of an outdoor environment. This research involved 46 teachers from 15 early childhood centres in the North Island of New Zealand. The findings reported in this paper will enable those responsible for outdoor design and provision to better understand the c
An Ethical Guide to Doing, Writing and Disseminating Research
The Ethics of Doing, Writing and Disseminating Research.
By Joy Cullen, Helen Hedges and Jane Bone. Republished by the Office of Early Childhood Education First Published in our NZ Research in ECE Journal, Volume 12, pp. 109-118.
This statement is intended to guide academic researchers, teachers, postgraduate students, managers, licensees
Book Review: Children’s developing minds revealed by parent-led research
A new book giving insight into children’s developing minds. What do children make of the stories we offer them? What do they think and feel as they listen to a parent read a picture-book? And what if a story confuses them. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
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