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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
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
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.
Death of a Pet
The death of a pet, especially a first pet, can be more traumatic for a child than it is for an adult.
Often the child has grown up with the pet and considers it to be as much a member of the family as the people in their family.
Or if it is an early childhood service pet, a child may have grown very fond of it and rely on it bein
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
Farm Visit
Farm Visit with Children.
While the animals may not be as exotic as the ones you find in a zoo, going to a farm can still be a great day out.
It can be especially good for smaller children as they can usually get closer to the animals.
Try these ideas to increase the learning potential of your visit.
Talk about the animals you might
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
Creating Financial Reserves
ECE Service Financial Reserves.
The Ministry of Education does not mind if a service builds up financial reserves. It will not affect funding. Non-profit services can however face a dilemma – should they be spend the money earnt or build up wealth? But note that community-based services are in a less strong position compared with compa
When Parents Want to Bargain Over Childcare Fees
Parents negotiating fees can put pressure on your pricing policies.
Learn how to hold the line on fairness and why a carefully chosen discounted spot can sometimes be smarter than leaving a space empty
Privacy Policy: Compliant, Caring Protection for All
A strong, up‑to‑date Privacy Policy is essential for every early childhood service because it protects the personal information of children, families, and staff while ensuring full compliance with the Privacy Act 2020.
With new sector‑specific guidance now in place, services must be confident that their policies reflect current legal expectations and best practice.
Our comprehensive policy template and procedures give services a clear, reliable framework to stay compliant, safeguard trust, and respond effectively to any privacy concerns.
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Effective Support for Student Teachers
This paper presents key findings from a study that investigated how early childhood student teachers perceived the support, guidance and mentoring facilities that were available to them and aspects of their courses. The study was conducted by lecturers who were delivering the three year Bachelor of Teaching (ECE) degree to a multicultural student c
The teacher’s role in visual arts learning
Great research on the visual arts experiences of young children (aged 3-4) at early childhood settings in NZ. Learn about the experiences and visual arts pedagogies of early childhood teachers. 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.
“It Made Me Argue More Confidently and I Can Stand by My Words”: Beginning Teachers’ Perspectives
“It made me argue more confidently and I can stand by my words”: Beginning teachers’ perspectives about mentoring, goal setting, and leadership during teacher registration.
Caterina Murphy and Jenny Butcher. Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa / NZ Childcare Association.
Full referenceMurphy, Caterina, & Butcher, Jenny (2015). “It
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.
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