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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
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Teacher Member Posts
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
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.
Daylight Saving is here – what you need to know to support tamariki over this period
Losing an hour of sleep can be hard on your body clock.
So it’s no surprise that young children can seem particularly grumpy and out of sorts at the start of the daylight saving period.
In Aotearoa, daylight saving begins on the last Sunday of September, when 2am becomes 3am.
Sexual Abuse Disclosure by Children
Supporting Children’s Disclosure of Sexual Abuse. By Eric Hollis.
Many parents either are not aware that their child could be a victim at some time of sexual abuse or feel at a loss to know how to protect their children from possible sexual abuse. However, with as many as 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 8 boys falling prey to predators in New Zealand,
Service Provider Member Posts
Child Complaint and Parent Feedback Forms
Complaint and Parent Feedback Form. Child Feedback Form / Questionnaire.
Children’s Voice.
For a form to document children’s views on the quality of your service and understand better how to meet their individual needs and expectations click on the button below
Child feedback form
Parent and Caregiver Voice.
Does your serv
Associate Teacher and Centre Information on Supporting Student Kaiako & Payment
If you’re a qualified, registered teacher and you’re ready to start supporting student kaiako as an Associate Teacher, we’ve got some helpful information to make the experience as rich and rewarding for everyone involved.
No-Cost Ways to Find Teaching Staff Before Other Employers Do
Finding teaching staff.
Are you having difficulty finding staff who are suitable for your early childhood centre or home-based service?
Do you have no or very little money to spend on advertising?
Here are strategies that are simple, take little time, and are often overlooked – but have proven very effective for getting the
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
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Parents as First Teachers (PAFT) – Reports
Parents as First Teachers delivered measurable benefits for families, and these reports document those impacts through survey data and parent/provider perspectives. They offer important lessons for policy‑makers considering how early‑years support is funded, delivered, and sustained.
Decolonising early childhood education: An Indigenous Fijian perspective
FULL REFERENCE: Nabou, S., Matapo, J., & Utumapu-McBride, T. (2024). Decolonising early childhood education: An indigenous Fijian perspective. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 26, pp. 45- 55.
Log-in to read the full research paper below. Or order a pdf copy of the article from the main NZIRECE Journal page.
ABSTRACT: This paper is based on the first phase of a doctoral research study that aimed to decolonise early childhood education (ECE) in Fiji. The review of literature undertaken in this phase highlights the need to prioritise Indigenous Fijian values and aspirations in educating Indigenous Fijian children and indicates ways in which ECE can contribute to the broader decolonisation of education. From 1990 to the late 2000s, ECE in Fiji, largely influenced by Western knowledge and ways of thinking, became formalised in schooling. Noting that the doctoral research is to be conducted using an Indigenous Fijian methodology known as veiwasei yaga (sharing meaningful ideas) as well as Talanoa discussions and the Fijian Vanua Research approach, the article emphasises literature that indicate the importance of understanding Indigenous Fijian viewpoints to the successful delivery of early childhood development, care, well-being, and education. The literature strongly suggests that recognising and incorporating Indigenous Fijian knowledge and methods of knowing into ECE is vital for broader acceptance of and integration into this learning environment. Through its presentation of the significance of Indigenous Fijian community cultural knowledge, concepts, customs and collective goals, both in general and as they relate to early childhood education, this first phase of the study lays a foundation for the investigation of the relevant perceptions of the people of the village of Dromuna in Viti Levu, Fiji.
KEY WORDS: Decolonisation, early childhood education, Indigenous Fijian childhood, Fijian Vanua Research, Talanoa.
INTRODUCTION
The decolonisation of education involves undertaking the deconstruction of ‘colonising practices’ by interrogating and challenging the dominant power perpetuated through education philosophies and practices (Matapo et al., 2023). A Western model of early childhood education (ECE) in Fiji, according to Whippy (2018), was introduced in the early 1960s to educate young Pacific children and their families (UNICEF, 2017). Historically, ECE in Fiji was run by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the community until the 1990s, and in late 2000, it was formalised in the school system (Tausere-Tiko, 2015; Whippy, 2018). In order to decolonise ECE in Fiji, we must both explore the impact of Western-centric education on Indigenous Fijian perceptions of early years learning and care and understand how Indigenous Fijians view early childhood development, care, well-being, and learning. Creating spaces for Indigenous Fijian narratives within these subjects is crucial to affirm and position Indigenous cultural knowledge and epistemology within the greater knowledge frame (Tausere-Tiko, 2015; Tiko, 2021).
Early Childhood Educator Perceptions of Children’s Physical Activity and the Outdoors
FULL REFERENCE: Wishart, L. (2018). Early childhood educator perceptions of children’s physical activity and the outdoors. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 21(1), 1–16.
Log-in to read the full research paper below. Or order a pdf copy of the article from the main NZIRECE Journal page.
ABSTRACT: The importance of young children’s physical activity, movement development and outdoor experience has been highlighted in recent years in the context of worldwide trends of sedentary living, reduced nature contact and risk minimisation. It is understood that early childhood educators can be influential in young children being physically active, outdoors and connected to the natural world. This paper explores early childhood educator perceptions of the importance of children’s movement development in naturalised outdoor learning environments. More specifically, this paper investigates how early childhood educators perceive the natural features outdoors influencing children’s movement development and physical activity. Six early childhood educators were interviewed as participants in a qualitative doctoral research study. The data were analysed and coded thematically using a perspective taking framework based on Wilber’s All Quadrants All Levels (AQAL) integral theory model (Esbjoèrn-Hargens, 2010; Wilber, 1998). An analysis of the results of the study revealed a spectrum of views of physical activity and the outdoors of lesser to greater complexity, highlighting differences in how educators’ perceive associations between children’s movement development, physical activity and outdoor environments.
Key words: Movement development, physical activity, naturalised outdoor environments.
Introduction
The importance of young children’s physical activity (PA), movement development and outdoor experience has been highlighted in recent years in the context of worldwide trends of sedentary living (Tremblay et al., 2016) reduced outdoor and nature contact (Charles & Wheeler 2012; Dowdell, Gray & Malone, 2011; Little & Wyver, 2008) and discourses of risk minimisation and challenge (Bundy et al. 2009; Little & Eager 2010).
Cultural Components of Early Childhood Teacher Education in Aotearoa New Zealand
FULL REFERENCE: Afrin, T. (2023). Cultural components of early childhood teacher education in Aotearoa New Zealand. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 25, pp. 1 – 16.
Log-in to read the full research paper below. Or order a pdf copy of the article from the main NZIRECE Journal page.
ABSTRACT: A number of Tertiary Education Organisations (TEOs) deliver early childhood teacher education programmes, where teaching and learning takes place between student-teachers and lecturers. Although several research reports aim to explore cultural diversity and inclusive practice with young children, very few do so from the perspective of teacher education. It is important that the tertiary sector is studied so that the student-teachers’ classroom encounter aligns with the placement experience. This study aims to address this gap. Within a socio-cultural framework, the research objectives were to ascertain the cultural components of early childhood teacher education programmes and to explore how the identified components impact on teaching and learning. Twelve lecturers from three TEOs and three cohorts of student-teachers participated via interviews and focus group discussions. Using manual thematic coding, nine broad areas of emerged. These are bicultural contexts of Aotearoa, multi-culturalism, individual identities, cross-cultural interactions, comfort zone, female majority, socio-economic struggles, spirituality, and technology. Student-teachers reported feeling empowered when they shared components from their culture. Lecturers acknowledged these components and affirmed that they contributed to their own emotional and professional growth. The findings led to the development of a reusable reflection framework for the lecturers of early childhood teacher education programmes to promote cultural competence.
KEY WORDS: Culture, teacher education, early childhood, reflection, teaching as inquiry.
INTRODUCTION
If we believe in the quote “We teach who we are” (Palmer, 1998, p. 1), curiosity about cultural components arises. Our own cultural contexts influence us as individuals and as educators. As an immigrant early childhood teacher educator from Bangladesh, working in Aotearoa New Zealand for the last twelve years, my curiosity led me to explore how lecturers relate to the student-teachers within the diverse cultural context. This query led to a Master of Philosophy study where I aimed to understand the cultural components of early childhood teacher education classrooms and the possible impact they may have on lecturers and student-teachers. In this study, I have condensed the infinite components of culture present in early childhood teacher education classrooms. Culture itself is polysemous. This is because culture is influenced by multiple variables such social and political contexts, as well as individual aspects such as, age, gender, and ethnicities (Eberly, Joshi, & Konzal, 2007). Anthropologically, people may denote artefacts from many different identities even within the same individual. For the study, I have narrowed down the investigation to the following subjects:
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