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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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Teacher Member Posts
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
When Your Service is Not Meeting Adult-Child Ratio Minimums
Not meeting adult:child ratios.
There are various ways that adult-child ratios can become a problem.
For example, does your manager or boss tell you that it is okay to go under ratio and not replace you when you go on morning-tea breaks and on other occasions provided you are still in the building or on the grounds?
Ratios
Volunteers and Unpaid Workers in ECE – Your Rights
Voluntary work in ECE.
There are many examples in the early childhood sector of different ways employers may rely on free labour, such as:
I was offered an unpaid position and it was a foot in the door as there were no jobs going in my area. I’ve been at ____ for four months and I do the same work as other teachers.
My centre manager t
Self Review: Working Smarter, Not Harder for Best Practice
Self-Review. By Janet Moles.
As I quietly move close to the habitat of an early childhood centre, I observe that the group is in the midst of the strange ritual known as ‘The Staff Meeting’. In this gathering, the leader communicates to the group, the tasks to be achieved, assigns duties and informs them of new requirements, rules and exp
Service Provider Member Posts
Flooding
Flooding – what to do and what not to do when there is flooding or a threat of flooding.
Be prepared for floods to occur wherever you are located, but particularly if located in a low-lying area, near the coast, rivers and water, or downstream from a dam.
If sustained and hard rain follows a period of drought, flooding can occur as the grou
Union Rights and ECE Service Provider Duties
Union rights.
Whether your early childhood service is party to a collective agreement or not – you need to know the ins and outs of the law on rights and duties in dealing with unions.
There are also obligations you must meet in respect of new staff appointments. Keep reading below to find out more.
You may also be interested in reading&
Redundancy and Making a Position Redundant
Redundancy and the process for making a position redundant.
There may not be the work for an employee because child enrolments have dropped, your service is restructuring, or you can not longer afford to keep an employee on.
Whatever the reason, there are certain processes to follow to ensure you do not run into legal problems.
This arti
Interview Questions for Teaching Job Applicants
This article goes over the broad areas to cover when interviewing an applicant and questions interviewers have found work.
When interviewing for a teaching position try to cover at least the following broad areas:
Prior work experience and reasons for any gaps in the applicant’s work record.Qualifications, when, where, how, areas of
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Touch in Early Childhood Education: Do No‑Touch Policies Belong?
The article explores how no‑touch policies in ECE emerged and why they continue to shape teacher behaviour, raising important questions about what kinds of touch are appropriate, safe, and developmentally necessary for young children. It’s a thought‑provoking read on how fear and policy can influence caring relationships at the heart of ECE.
Influences on SENCo Practice in Early Care and Education Settings in England
Research on the challenges for special education needs coordinators and implementation of child health care and learning plans in ECE settings. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Nurturing the Learning and Development of Children who are Refugees
Phillipa Harris.
Full reference:Harris, P. (2019). Nurturing the learning and development of children who are refugees. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal. Special issue presenting position papers, 22(2), pp. 26 – 34.
Page 26
Original Position Paper
Abstract
This position paper provides a plea for
Supporting Preschool age Children’s Wellbeing through Home-based Literacy Development
Research on supporting young children’s literacy development in their home languages and transgenerational cross-cultural learning. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
What We Do
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