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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
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- 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
Bullying by Children as Young as 2 Years
Bullying by Children as Young as Two.
Children bullying another child is not uncommon, and it happens in early childhood centres and homes. Around one in ten children experience being bullied or picked on as a consistent experience from age two years, according to findings of a longitudinal study.
Here we will look at: Should a child be called a bully? What is bullying? Examples of bullying. What’s normal and how adults can stop bullying from developing in the first place
Winter and Rainy Day Activities
Winter and Rainy Day Children’s Activities.
When the children are getting restless and the noise levels are going up and up and you are thinking about how to get through the day, it’s time to bring in some new ideas and fresh activities.
Here’s help. Below are lots of teacher ideas of experiences you can give to children and activities t
Making Pet Rocks
Making Pet Rocks.
This is a fun activity for ages 2 – 102 – so its highly suitable to involve parents and grandparents in doing too alongside their children.
This can be done inside or at an outside table. , to produce something that reflects the personal style of the creator.
Brilliant for building imagination and creativity, leadin
Speaking Up in ECE: How to Raise Issues in Your Workplace or Community, Influence Change, and Advocate
If something in your workplace or in the wider ECE sector isn’t sitting right with you, you’re not alone – and you’re not powerless.
We speak up to protect children, strengthen the profession, and create healthier, safer workplaces.
But raising concerns can feel overwhelming, scary, and hard.
Think of one thing you’d really like to change. This article helps you work out the best way to communicate it – whether that’s addressing an issue with your employer, raising a sector‑wide concern, or advocating for children’s rights.
Log in with your member details to read the full guidance. If your membership has lapsed or you’d like to join, get in touch with us or go to the Join page on our website.
You’ll learn about common stumbling blocks, ways to build your confidence, and take the next step without feeling out of your depth.
Service Provider Member Posts
Charging Parents for Late Pick-ups and Early Drop-offs
Late Fee.
Should you charge a late fee for late collection of children? Or charge the parents of children who arrive early?
Some early childhood services ‘fine’ parents to try to deter them from leaving their child outside of hours that are booked. Other services charge late and early drop-off fees to generate extra reven
How to write a policy
How to write a policy on anything or topic for your early childhood service.
What needs to be included in a written policy.
Answers to your questions such as how often you need to review policy.
Fee Bargaining – When Parents From Other Cultures Want to Bargain
Parents Wishing to Bargain Over Childcare Fees.
Do you find some parents who are used to bargaining in their own countries are less accepting of price increases and accepting set prices?
Are you cautious when increasing fees or other charges because of how parents from different cultures may react?
New Zealand is a nation with around
A Tree Fell at a Centre and WorkSafe and MoE Heard It
A tree fell on children in an early childhood centre and for the first time ever Worksafe prosecuted an ECE service.
Four children and one adult were injured.
The most fundamental practice change to be made is that every day the service provider and all adults responsible need to assume that something could go wrong. Don’t take a
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Early Childhood Teachers’ Emotional Labour
Research looking into how early childhood education (ECE) teachers experience emotional labour in their work – their workloads, emotional involvement, and work-life balance. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Index for the NZ Research in ECE Journal, 2008, Vol 11
The titles, authors and abstracts for papers published in the NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, Volume 11, 2008 are shown below.
To view any paper, scroll to the end of this page for copies.
Making Choices: Contradictions and Commonalities in the Valuing of Caring and Working by Government Policy and First Time M
Beyond Quality in Early Childhood Education & Care Postmodern Perspectives
Beyond Quality extends the values-based approach, and taking a postmodern perspective, argues that researchers cannot continue to claim the “truth” and the right to define early childhood education and care quality for others.
Contents – NZ International Research in ECE Journal, 2018, Vol 21, No. 1
This issue brings together research on children’s physical activity, conflict‑related social development, men’s experiences in early childhood teaching, school‑entry assessment, transitions to school, differing perspectives on quality, and parental and teacher views on school readiness.
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