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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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National and local stories, expert analysis, commentary, and more.
Education Bulletin and Sector Notices
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Membership Services and Support for:
Teacher Member Posts
The Education of Young Gifted Children and Resource Issues
Gifted Children Identification and Resource Issues. Research Report by Valerie Margrain & Sarah Alexander.
An online survey was conducted on the education of young gifted children. The purpose of the survey was to gather information and sector views to help inform policy and practices for young gifted children and those who work with them.
Female Teachers Annoyed at John’s Popularity as a Teacher
Male teacher popularity with children.
Why are kids always drawn to the male teacher? Our kids always go for John – it’s “Hi John” when they come in the door and they hang around him most of the day. We are feeling a bit peeved at his popularity I must say – and the fact that we are left with cleaning the tables etc. We often can
Death of a Child, Parent or Other Adult
In the event of the death of a child or person known at your service, the impact will be extensive on children, yourself, members of your team and your community.
You should be open and honest with your service leader and discuss the option of seeking professional help and support for yourself, in order to be able to adequately support children
Mums Expressing Breastmilk and Managing Other People’s Reactions
Mums Expressing Breastmilk in ECE. By Dr Sarah Alexander.
Early childhood services can be places that support breastfeeding, and the attitude of staff and teachers and what they do makes a big difference as to whether a mother continues with breastfeeding.
Often there is not time enough time to discuss questions such what to do if anothe
Service Provider Member Posts
Job Description: Qualified Teacher
Here’s not only a template for a qualified ECE teacher job description but also a sample JD for you to use and adapt. If you would like more guidance and ideas go to the main article about writing JDs.
Template
Service name or Logo
Position description
POSITION/ ROLE:
E.g. Qualified early childhood teacher
POSITION/ ROLE TYPE:
E.g.
Power Cut – No Electricity
A power cut – oh no! What do you do? Should you send children home?
If the power goes off again, what can you do to be better prepared?
How can you make the best out of a nuisance situation?
Here are some answers.
When there is no danger to children and adults there is no need to evacuate.
A power cut is not norma
Kindergarten Girl on Slide Nearly Died From Strangulation
Slide safety.
UPDATE: Another case of strangulation showing that lessons have not yet been learnt. A child died in 2016 at Angels Childcare in Auckland due to strangulation on a slide.
An Opinion article on Slide Safety
By Dr Sarah Alexander September 1, 2010.
The mother of a young girl nearly strangled after being caught in a rope
Fees Policy Template and Procedures: Family‑Focused and Service‑Strong
A clear and well‑structured Fees Policy helps early childhood services maintain fairness, transparency, and financial stability.
It supports families to understand how fees are set and applied, reducing confusion and strengthening trust.
By using the accompanying guidance and the template, your service can easily create a policy that is consistent, compliant, and tailored to the needs of your service and families in your community.
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Thesis Supervisor – How to Choose Good Supervisors for Your Study
Thesis Supervisor – How to Choose Good Research Supervisors
If you want to develop skills as a researcher, have credibility in the workforce as a researcher, and contribute to the knowledge base in your area of interest then doing a thesis with academic supervision and support is the way to go.
When undertaking a thesis for a Doctorate or a
Nuances and Perceptions of Home-based Early Childhood Education
Full reference: Davitt, G., Chellapan, L., & Keighron, C. (2025). Nuances and perceptions of home-based early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 27, pp. 56-68.
Login to read the full research paper below. Or order a pdf copy of the article from the main NZIRECE Journal page.
ABSTRACT:
Home-based early childhood education (HBECE) describes a type of early childhood education and care (ECE) that encompasses several widely recognised philosophies and pedagogical practices. Among psychologists, counsellors, therapists, and education professionals, there has been an increasing interest in researching HBECE. The aim of this research was to gain a broader view of the specific context, nuances, and perceptions of HBECE in Aotearoa New Zealand. Four focus group online interviews, with eighteen participants in total were held. The participants were service providers, visiting teachers, educators, and parents. From the interviews we identified benefits, challenges, and the overall perception of HBECE. Benefits focused on the family type environment, relationships, continuity of care, and small group size. Participants spoke of licensing and funding changes, namely: regulatory compliance, funding, and documentation. They perceived HBECE to be undervalued within the wider ECE sector and the community at large.
Key words: Group size, continuity of care, home-based ECE, personalised learning, flexible childcare.
Solo Fathers with Young Children and their Social Needs
Solo fathers are an ‘invisible’ group in society, although Census data suggests they make up almost 5% of families in New Zealand. No research other than a review of Census data in 1999 has been done on this family type in New Zealand, and there is also very little published research overseas, especially where it includes young children. This i
Wellbeing Literacy and Early Childhood Education
Research on child wellbeing and insights into wellbeing gains for children in early childhood education. 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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