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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
Noho Marae – What’s involved and making the most out of your overnight stay at a marae
If you’ve attended noho marae before, you will likely have some knowledge of the pōwhiri or mihi whakatau process, and of the specific tikanga of…
The Kind of Teacher You Are
It all Comes Out in the Wash! Teaching Style and Thinking About The Kind of Teacher You Are. By Joy Lubawy. Have we moved forward…
Sleep – How Much and Meeting Parents’ Wishes
Sleeping During the Day at ECE. Nap, sleep and rest times have led to tensions and stand-offs between teachers, parents and children in some centres…
The Concept of Tuakana-Teina dictated by Whakapapa
Within Aotearoa, NZ early childhood education pedagogy, the relationships of tuakana, teina are misunderstood, misinterpreted and/or misused. Ngaroma Williams explains how and calls for a…
Service Provider Member Posts
Building the Real Quality of Your ECE Service
Beyond Regulatory Standards and Expectations to Building Quality. There seems to be so much to do in trying to provide a quality service, does there…
Staff Benefits and Wages Guide
The Staff Benefits and Wages Guide for Employers. We provide data on usual and common benefits provided to staff, such as discounted childcare, and by…
Trauma Policy: Procedures for Responding to Critical Incidents and Trauma in ECE Services
Every early childhood service needs a clear Trauma Policy to protect children, families, and staff when the unexpected occurs. Traumatic incidents can happen and having…
Child Protection Policy: Strategic, Powerful and Clear Framework for ECE Providers
Updated April 2026 with the latest regulatory requirements. A strong child protection policy isn’t just about meeting licensing standards - it’s a core safeguard for…
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Early Childhood Educators’ Workplace Well-being
FULL REFERENCE: Jones, C., Hadley, F., Waniganayake, M. & Johnstone, M. (2019). Early childhood educators’ workplace well-being: A case for using self-determination theory to understand…
Children as Teachers: Creating Opportunities for Children to Share Expertise with their Peers
In early childhood centres young children have the opportunity to interact with their peers in a play based environment. Play takes a central role and…
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…
Critical Issues in Early Childhood Education
This book presents diverse viewpoints on critical issues in ECE, so that readers can discuss the positions and issues being interrogated and make their own…
What We Do
The Office of ECE drives high-quality care, learning and teaching for all infants and young children and high-quality working environments for teachers and service providers.
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