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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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Membership Services and Support for:
Teacher Member Posts
Nappies – The Options and What’s Best in ECE
As professionals, teachers are often presented with situations that require them to consider what is important to the families of the children they are teaching, while ensuring that they are working in an environment where they are comfortable and where their training and experience is valued and appreciated.
In deciding how to approach the reus
The Books Children Like Best
The Type of Books Young Children Like Best.
Books are an integral part of a child’s education but getting them to sit down and look at books can be difficult when there are so many other things competing for a child’s attention.
Often books are chosen by adults, particularly for younger children and babies, but even young children
Are Marbles Really Allowed in ECE Centres and Homebased?
Marbles and other small objects might seem harmless, but in ECE settings they can quickly become a serious choking hazard. We explain what the regulations actually require and give you clear indicators to help you manage these risks confidently and keep children safe.
Implementing Primary Caregiving – Issues
Te Whāriki states that infants in particular should experience “unhurried and calm caregiving practices for feeding, sleeping and nappy changing.”
So despite the barriers for some early childhood services such as large numbers of children and poor adult-child ratios, if you can implement a system of primary caregiving it is a very effectiv
Service Provider Member Posts
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.
Successful Networking
Networking in Early Childhood Education.
Ever felt nervous getting in touch with someone in an important position, or in a room full of people knowing that you are unable to say anything or not knowing what to say?
Successful networking is an essential key to getting ahead and staying ahead.
This article covers:
what networking ispr
Safeguarding Children from Abuse in Childcare
Safeguarding Children from Abuse.
Does your early childhood service have a whistle-blowing policy? Having a whistle-blowing policy can help to give confidence in the safety of an early childhood setting and keep it safe for children.
Furthermore, there are some additional ways to ensure a service is a safe place from abuse for children.
Disciplinary Process
There may be a time that you find an employee is underperforming or an employee is engaging in misconduct or serious misconduct.
You may not want to, but you will need to begin a disciplinary process with that employee. Here is information to assist you in learning about disciplinary processes as an employer or manager of early childhood s
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Inclusion and equity for teachers with disabilities
The positive and negative experiences of early childhood teachers / kaiako with disabilities who are working in NZ. How this impacts on their human rights, sense of wellbeing, and work. Login to read the full research paper below. Or you can order a pdf copy of the article, go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Exploring Educator and Parent Perceptions of the Impact of Digital Technologies on Young Children’s Physical Literacies
Full reference: Davis, T. (2025). Exploring educator and parent perceptions of the impact of digital technologies on young children’s physical literacies. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 27, pp. 31-42.
Login to read the full research paper below. Or order a pdf copy of the article from the main NZIRECE Journal page.
ABSTRACT:
Digital technologies are increasingly present in early childhood settings, raising questions about their effects on young children’s physical literacy development. Physical literacy – encompassing physical competence, confidence, motivation, and understanding to engage in physical activity – is crucially developed in the early years. This article reports on a doctoral research project exploring how educators and parents perceive the impact of digital technology use on the physical literacies of children from birth to five years. A literature review highlights international and Australasian perspectives on digital technology integration in early childhood education and the concept of physical literacy in the early years, revealing a gap in research on stakeholder perceptions at this intersection. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory provide the theoretical framework, situating children’s technology experiences within layered environmental contexts and sociocultural interactions. A qualitative, interpretive case study with a phenomenological lens is proposed, using semi-structured interviews with educators and parents in an Australian kindergarten and a long day care centre. The article argues that understanding adult perceptions can support more intentional, balanced integration of digital technologies.
Key words: Digital technologies; physical literacy; teacher perceptions; parent perceptions.
Early childhood teacher engagement with place-based education
The study followed ECE teachers who were learning to use an outdoor centre – a nature-based education space. The experience, who their beliefs, values and understandings of the pedagogical approaches that underpin learning in nature and the importance of place-based learning for tamariki and kaiako alike were affirmed. Login to view the full article. Or you can order a pdf copy of the article, go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Developing Curriculum for the Early Years: A Perspective from Bangladesh
This paper gives a narrative of the emergence of early childhood education in Bangladesh, a country with 156.6 million people. Reference is made to the NZ Te Whāriki and Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. 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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