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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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National and local stories, expert analysis, commentary, and more.
Education Bulletin and Sector Notices
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Membership Services and Support for:
Teacher Member Posts
Immigrant Children and Families
Immigrant Children in ECE. By Angel Chan.
As New Zealand has opened its doors more to immigrants from all over the world, early childhood services are experiencing significant growth in the enrolment of immigrant children.
Many immigrant children and parents have learning and parenting styles different from ‘New Zealanders’, posing ch
Diabetes
What is diabetes? What does it mean for a young child to have diabetes? What does it mean for the child’s family, caregivers and preschool? How can you help support the diabetic child?
This article will answer many of the questions you may have about diabetes and caring for and teaching a young diabetic child.&n
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
Ko Tau Rourou Ko Taku Rourou ā Kua Mārama Shared Understandings and Reflection on Wairua
Reflections on Wairua. By Ngaroma Williams and Michelle Anderson with peer-review by Dr Mere Skerrett.
We came to write this article through asking questions, seeking clarification, providing each other examples of our own experiences, and then highlighting what these experiences look like using teaching and learning narrative approaches
Service Provider Member Posts
Ministry of Education Audits: Funding Audit and Record Keeping Audits
The purpose of a visiting audit from the Ministry of Education is to verify that the service is claiming and receiving the correct amount of MoE funding,
It is also to verify that a service is meeting the record keeping requirements for the grants, and to provide advice and assistance to services on record keeping requirements.
Emergency Management Policy, Procedures, and Supplies
Here is a sample emergency management policy template, covering different emergencies such as fire, flooding, terrorist or armed offender, and natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, and tsunamis.
We also show you what you might put in a sample emergency plan, emergency procedures (including drills), and an emergency sup
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.
Staffing Rosters: Balancing Safety and Compliance at Opening and Closing
Staffing Rosters at opening and closing can make or break the safety and compliance of an early childhood service. Many leaders are unsure what the law actually requires, especially when only a few children remain at the end of the day. This article cuts through the confusion with clear guidance on ratios, supervision, and who can legally be left to open or close the centre and differences between legal and best practice.
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Researching with Men: Ideas and Strategies for Doing Better
Research with Men. By David Mitchell and Philip Chapman. Published in the NZ Research in Early Childhood Education journal, Vol. 4, 2001, pp. 165-175
Abstract
This paper challenges the tendency of research to ignore issues related to the study of men and particularly men as parents. An argument is also presented for including men in st
Contents – NZ International Research in ECE Journal, 2018, Vol 21, No. 1
This issue brings together research on children’s physical activity, conflict‑related social development, men’s experiences in early childhood teaching, school‑entry assessment, transitions to school, differing perspectives on quality, and parental and teacher views on school readiness.
Research Community Question and Discussion Board
This discussion board is for you and members of the early childhood education research community in Aotearoa, Australia and internationally.
Ask anything related to research, share thoughts and information, or just to reach out to talk about an experience and see if others have encountered similar and what advice they may have for you.
Below
Cultural Components of Early Childhood Teacher Education in Aotearoa New Zealand
Research on the cultural components of early childhood teacher education. 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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