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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
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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
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Teacher Member Posts
Tikanga in Practice
As a part of my journey I have focused on supporting my colleagues to learn and begin to understand some of the basic stuff that is important to Te Āo Māori. I understand and accept that if you don’t know, you don’t know, hence we should as teachers find ways to become aware. Along with this unknown factor I have experienced resistance. Resistance to acknowledging what it means to weave the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and therefore promote tikanga within our Centres.
For example, after partaking in these korero sessions and hearing Kaiako show enthusiasm for incorporating Tikanga in Practice, often those changes to practice that have been discussed, debated, worked out, and agreed upon as a collective don’t eventuate into practice.
It often feels like participants come to the workshops as a part of a box ticking exercise – they can put it in the appraisal system, but then don’t follow through with making actual changes to the practices.
For example, observing colleagues continue to sit on tables, place shoes or hair ties and hats on tables or benches where Kai is sometimes placed, using a chair to place food plates on, finding shoes in the hat basket, observing teachers straddle tamariki stretchers, or doing the laundry all in together.
When we have had discussions about how tikanga helps to make meeting regulations so easy, yet the changes are not forthcoming.
Domestic Violence Leave
Early Childhood Teacher Domestic Violence Leave.
If you have any problem getting your right to domestic violence leave you can go to Employment New Zealand for support (there is no charge) or complain to the Human Rights Commission.
Contents:
Providing proof of domestic violence requirements. Your obligations, rights, entitlements, an
Supporting Children with Additional Needs
As every child is unique in an early childhood setting, there will be children with additional needs.
These could be physical differences, such as children with cerebral palsy or who are vision or hearing impaired; or it could be less visible conditions such as autism spectrum disorders or behavioural difficulties.
Regardless of the type of
Are Learning Stories Working? Educators Share their Views
It is now some years since the Learning Stories approach to assessing children’s learning caught on and was widely and uncritically adopted by early childhood professionals in NZ.
Here we open up discussion and reflect on the use of the Learning Story approach to child assessment and how well it is working for teachers and children.
There
Service Provider Member Posts
CCTV and Security Camera Policy
The Office of ECE provides this CCTV policy template and guidance to help services using indoor or outdoor security cameras meet their legal obligations under the Privacy Act, the Children’s Act, and other key legislation.
With camera use under increasing scrutiny, every service that operates CCTV in areas where children or staff may be present needs clear, transparent procedures to ensure lawful, ethical, and defensible practice. Gaps in your policy can put your service and the trust of families, at risk.
Log in with your member details to access the full guidance and template. If your service’s membership has lapsed or you’d like to join, get in touch and we’ll help you get set up quickly.
Home‑based providers may also use this template to develop a policy for educators who have security cameras operating in their family homes.
ECE Employer Guide to Employing and Managing Staff
The ECE Employer Guide is for all managers and persons who employ or are involved in the recruitment and employment of staff. It is a comprehensive resource with detailed information on employment matters as well as on managing your team.
Sun Protection Policy
Early childhood service sun protection policy and guidance.
A few years ago I was a head teacher in a kindergarten. We prided ourselves on not allowing children outside without hats and sun screen. We deliberately created areas in the grounds that were shaded. One very hot February day we had a sprinkler out and the children had a wonderful
Internal Evaluation and How to Please ERO
Internal Evaluation and the Education Review Office.
Ongoing reflection and review of practice has always been a priority for ECE teachers to ensure that they are the best teachers they can be and are providing best outcomes for children.
From their initial teacher registration, teachers are taught to reflect on their practice and this is
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Contents – NZ Research in ECE Journal, 2012, Vol 15
This issue spans quality review in ECE, Montessori‑based literacy, relational ways of living and learning, optimal outdoor environments, parent–child coping communication, peer expertise‑sharing, communication in early intervention, a child’s lived experience in care, practitioner research journeys, student‑teacher support, cultural‑historical borderlands, and the complexities of goal‑setting in field‑based programmes, alongside research on the social needs of solo fathers.
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
A Whole School Approach to Language Development in the Early Years
Research findings on supporting children entering school with speech and language delay. Concerning is that the skills necessary for teachers to have to support children are lacking within initial teacher training, which does not support children who are most vulnerable before and after entry to school. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Being Agreeable? A Critical Examination of Communication Among IP Groups in Early Intervention
In New Zealand each child with an inclusive early intervention programme is supported by a group of adults: the child’s parent(s), teachers, early intervention specialists, and education support worker (teacher-aide). The group’s joint task is to prepare an individual plan (IP) for the child to follow in their regular early childhood education
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