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Welcome to the Office of Early Childhood Education
The OECE is a national organisation for the ECE sector and public adviser, championing high-quality education and care 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
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Teacher Member Posts
Zoo Trip
Zoo Trip With Children.
Everybody loves a cuddly furry animal, so the zoo is a great destination for a day trip for adults and children.
Here are some ideas to make the most of a zoo safari.
The zoo offers children the chance to see exotic animals they may never otherwise encounter. Before or after the visit, talk about the type of
Indoor Plant and Growing Activities
Children Indoor Plant Growing Activities.
Here are 7 ideas for how to do some fun growing activities and keep children busy. Activities include an onion person, a Humpty Dumpty potato or swede, an egg shell garden, wheat people and more.
Young children will be able to do many of these growing activities themselves – they ju
Seven Tips to Ease Back into Work After the Holidays
Going Back to Work.
Here are 7 of the best tips for easing back to work after a holiday or other break away – smoothing the transition for children and others around you.
Tip 1: Don’t worry, be happy
Children need to see their teachers and carers relaxed, positive and cheerful at the start of a new day and especially at the star
Integrated Early Childhood Services for Children and Families
Integrated Early Childhood Services. Joanne M. Alderson.
Two buzz words in early childhood education today are ‘collaboration’ and ‘partnership’. They roll off the tip of the tongues of professionals in our field. But what exactly do these words mean in practice?
This article by Joanne Alderson seeks to answer this question based o
Service Provider Member Posts
Ways to Be the Best – Paths to Quality
Five Paths to Quality Improvement.
Do you want to grow and develop a service that is unique?
Would you like to see parents shouting from the rooftops about how great your service is?
Would you like to future-proof your service to help it continue to be one of the best in your local community, or even in the whole of NZ?
Aim for
Sun Protection Measures and Responsibilities
Management of Sun Protection.
Responsibilities to Staff and Staff Responsibilities to Themselves.
Staff must practise recommended sun protection behaviours for their health and wellbeing too. Tell staff that they are never too old, and it’s never too late, to begin to protect themselves from the harmful effects of the sun.
Requirem
Governance Training and Capacity
Governance Training.
Most board members have little, if any, training on how to govern an early childhood service effectively.
They are often volunteers.
They may come onto the board thinking their role is merely to support the supervisor or manager and mostly to fundraise and offer practical ideas for day-to-day operations.&nb
Noise Control and Reduction Methods
How to Reduce Noise Levels in an Early Childhood Environment.
Ways to assist adults and children reduce noise levels
Practical, low cost, solutions to making building and furniture changes to reduce and prevent noise.
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Student Teachers’ Perceptions of Mentoring Relationships in Field-based Early Childhood Teacher Education
Abstract:
The focus of this paper is on the relationships and experiences of third-year field-based early childhood student teachers with their mentoring teachers in their usual centre of work and with their Associate Teachers whilst on practicum. It reports on data from the second phase of a larger multi-year study (which commenced in 2008),
Contents – NZ International Research in ECE Journal, 2023, Vol 25
This issue explores cultural competence in teacher education, inclusive and culturally safe ECE workplaces, social‑justice leadership, children’s understandings of same‑sex families, and innovative perspectives on children’s thinking and identity.
Strengthening Policy Implementation and System Coordination for Equitable Early Childhood Development in Fiji
Full reference: Tiko, L. (2025). Strengthening policy implementation and system coordination for equitable early childhood development in Fiji. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 27, 83-96.
Login to read the full research paper below. Or order a pdf copy of the article from the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Abstract
This paper critically explores the challenges and opportunities in strengthening policy implementation and system coordination for equitable Early Childhood Development (ECD) in Fiji. It interrogates the effectiveness of the 2024 to 2028 National ECD Policy and the 2025 Pre-Primary Policy, focusing on persistent disparities in resource distribution, professional development, and infrastructure between urban and rural ECE centres. The paper highlights fragmented inter-ministerial coordination among the Ministries of Education, Health, and Women and Children, revealing operational silos and inconsistent planning mechanisms. Situated within the broader context of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the analysis emphasises the importance of culturally grounded, community-led approaches rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems. The commentary calls for a paradigm shift in ECD policy implementation, one that centres equity, resilience, and local agency to build inclusive and sustainable early childhood systems across Fiji and the Pacific.
Key words: Early Childhood Development, Policy Implementation, System Coordination.
Where are the Men in Jamaica’s Early Childhood Classrooms? The Experiences of those who Choose to Teach Young Children
Research on factors that male teachers believe deter other men from joining them in the early childhood profession. 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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