Tēnā koutou katoa
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
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

Supporting Boys’ Interests and Play in ECE
Ideas for activities and learning extensions are provided for teachers who are working with boys aged 3- 5 years.
There is a good chance you will see some gendered play and behaviour in any early childhood setting you enter. Our profession is female dominated and early childhood settings can be feminised environments.

Children’s Clothing and Keeping them Warm and Dry – Clothing Advice, Not Losing Socks and Hats, and Solutions to Other Problems
Cooler weather means more layers of clothing, for us and children. In the interests of minimising the spread of winter ills and chills, here’s some practical advice around keeping everyone warm and dry, as well as how to keep track of the extra clothing-particularly things like socks and hats.

The Learning Story Narrative Approach to Child Assessment
Narrative Approach to Child Assessment.
While our country’s youngest children are not assessed with end of year tests or other formal assessments, the Ministry of Education does require early childhood education (ECE) services to be ”informed by assessment, planning and evaluation (documented and undocumented) that demonstrates an understandi

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

Domestic Violence Leave
Domestic violence leave guidelines.
Asking for proof and how to treat an employee who is, or is suspected to be, affected by domestic violence
As an employer you can accept any type of proof that an employee is affected by domestic violence. Proof may, for example, take the form of: a letter or email about what’s going on and how it

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

Job Description for a Centre Manager or Home-based Coordinator
Here is a template you can use and adapt for a manager job description – or centre supervisor, or home-based coordinator who is responsible for one group of visiting teachers.
If you would like more guidance and ideas go to the main article about writing JDs.
Service name or Logo
Position description
POSITION/ROLE:
E.g. Manag

Conflicts of Interest
Conflict of Interest.
A conflict of interest is when you, someone you are close to, employed by, or are personally friendly with may stand to benefit or gain in some way from a decision made at a meeting or within the service.
The board/committee, management, families and all involved in the early childhood service need to be confident that
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles

Supporting Participation of Indigenous Families in Early Childhood Education
FULL REFERENCE: Corridore, E. (2014). Supporting participation of indigenous families in early childhood education. NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal. Special Issue: Early Childhood Policy,17, 147-160.
Log-in to read the full research paper below. Or order a pdf copy of the article from the main NZIRECE Journal page.
ABSTRACT: This paper examines specific discrepancies between Australian Indigenous communities’ values, beliefs and approaches to education and those of mainstream Australian communities. It includes an analysis of relevant impacts of this mismatch on successful participation by Indigenous children in early childhood education settings. Cultural competency, as described in the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and expanded upon by current thinking and learning, predominates as a professional skill required in educating young Indigenous children and communities. The confronting issue of colonisation has impacted on the participation levels of Indigenous families and is deserving of significant space and time for reflection around Western education institutions and what they represent and value.
KEY WORDS:
Indigenous; Australia; values; indigenous; culture; communities; participation; policy, curriculum, Early Years Learning Framework.

Building Capacity to Apply a Strengths Approach to Working with Vulnerable Families and Children
Research on ways early childhood educators can use a strengths based approach when working with vulnerable children and families and the ‘mind-shift’ and resources important. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.

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, 2019, Vol 22, No. 1
This issue spans sustainability pedagogies, post‑colonial tensions in Pacific ECE, digital technology use, advanced empathy, parent‑centred understandings of quality, schema‑informed behaviour support, and rhizomatic thinking in young children’s learning.
What We Do
Resources