Tēnā koutou katoa
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
View the Code of Conduct for ECE Services
Get Unrestricted Access to NZ’s Specialist ECE NEWSROOM
National and local stories, expert analysis, commentary, and more.
Education Bulletin and Sector Notices
Free to sign-up and receive
Membership Services and Support for:
Teacher Member Posts
Seven Tips to Ease Back into Work After the Holidays
Going Back to Work.
Here are 7 of the best tips for easing back to work after a holiday or other break away – smoothing the transition for children and others around you.
Tip 1: Don’t worry, be happy
Children need to see their teachers and carers relaxed, positive and cheerful at the start of a new day and especially at the star
Supporting and Involving Fathers
Early childhood education services in general do not do well when it comes to being inclusive of dads and supporting and involving fathers. Services could be doing better if teachers and service operators knew how.
New Zealand families are gradually changing and men are becoming more involved in raising their children.
However, public reali
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Oppositional Defiant Disorder is a behavioural disorder that results in negative and hostile behaviour from a child.
This article explains:
The signs or what to look for when identifying Oppositional Defiant DisorderWays to help a child with the disorder
The disorder is becoming more common and boys are thought to be more likely to be
Supervision While Eating – What the Requirements Mean and the Indicators to Help You Meet Them Confidently
The “supervision while eating” criterion is often misunderstood, especially the fact that it covers not only high‑risk choking foods but also allergic reactions, which can create real confusion about what supervision in practice looks like. This article explains the core requirements and provides practical indicators so you can keep children safe, protect yourself from allegations of harm, and ensure your service remains fully compliant.
Service Provider Member Posts
Responding to a Child’s Disclosure of Abuse
Getting Help for an Abused Child. By Eric Hollis.
When a child discloses sexual abuse, it will always be distressing. It is natural for adults to feel at a loss to know how best to respond.
The information provided here covers how to listen and respond to a child who tells you, or hints in even a vague way, that she/he or someone they know
Job Descriptions for Relievers
How to write a Job Description for a Reliever Position.
Many services like to use relieving staff they know, rather than going through an agency.
Below is a template for a job description that you can adapt to suit and use. If you would like more guidance and ideas go to the main article about writing JDs.
Service name or Logo
J
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 not?
Is all your work worth it or could a change in focus and method achieve better results?
To help you to think critically on this consider the following:
Who defines what quality is? A
Allegations Made Against a Teacher
Allegations against a teacher.
You have noticed a problem with a staff member’s behaviour, or someone comes to you with allegations of professional misconduct or harming a child. What can you do – and what should you do and why?
Responding to allegations against a teacher, investigation, and disciplinary meeting
Quietly assess if this c
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Cultural-Historical Borderlands: Common Grounds, Limits and Building Bridges in an Early Childhood Community
This paper discusses how early childhood education may be understood and experienced as a cultural-historical borderland, where mental borders and limits are made by people. Drawing on border theory and cultural-historical theory, different perspectives are considered in the study reported here on understanding the challenges and hopes that a commu
Book Review: Children’s developing minds revealed by parent-led research
A new book giving insight into children’s developing minds. What do children make of the stories we offer them? What do they think and feel as they listen to a parent read a picture-book? And what if a story confuses them. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Can Early Years’ Practitioners Facilitate Social Development During Conflicts Between Young Children?
Research on social competence, mediation strategies and how teachers can better manage conflicts between children aged 3 to 5 years in early childhood settings. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
The NZ Early Childhood Literacy Handbook by Judy Hamer & Paul Adams
Hamer and Adams have skilfully weaved the latest research and theory with the current political and social context to present proposals for best literacy practices and a huge range of practical literacy based ideas.
What We Do
Resources
