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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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Membership Services and Support for:
Teacher Member Posts
Relieving Work – Relief Teaching
Working as a Reliever in ECE. Most permanent early childhood teachers will have experienced relievers within their services, either from an agency or permanent relievers…
Bullying Experienced by Teachers – Personal Stories
Bullying Experienced by Teachers. In the following accounts, teachers real names have not been used for fear of reprisals. The stories below were told individually…
Can a Male Teacher Be Fired For Not Being ‘Man’ Enough?
An employer asked whether they could dismiss a male teacher simply because he didn’t match their assumptions about what “men” should do in ECE. This…
Sun Protection Activities for Teaching and Learning to Be Safe in the Sun
Sun Protection Activities On Being Safe in the Sun (songs, art and craft, science, drama etc). Lots of easy to implement ideas for teaching and…
Service Provider Member Posts
90-day Trial Period
All employers in New Zealand, no matter their size, are able to use 90-day trial periods. 90-day trials will not affect other aspects of employment…
Meal and Rest Breaks: What ECE Employers Must Provide
Does your ECE service meet requirements for staff meal and rest breaks? Check your legal duties now and learn how to manage breaks well. Log…
Leadership and Delegating
Delegating as a leader. A key reason why the workload of a manager or leader can become unreasonable is that they can take on too…
Noise Control and Reduction Methods
How to Reduce Noise Levels in an Early Childhood Environment. Ways to assist adults and children reduce noise levels Practical, low cost, solutions to making…
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Children’s Participation in Disaster Risk Reduction as Curriculum
FULL REFERENCE: Fikriani, D. & Bone, J. (2014). Children's participation in disaster risk reduction as curriculum. NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, Special Issue:…
Communities of Learning: Promoting Equity in ECE Policy and Practice
FULL REFERENCE: Hohaia-Rollinson, F., Jena-Crottet, A., Illston, K., Malcolm, J., Purdue, K. and Tate, A. (2021). Communities of learning: Promoting equity in ECE policy and…
Female Social Justice Leaders in the Early Childhood Profession
FULL REFERENCE: Summers, T. & Kamp, A. (2023). Female social justice leaders in the early childhood profession: A narrative inquiry on the origins of leadership. …
Infants and Toddlers in Non‑Parental Education and Care: Insights from the Children’s Commissioner Inquiry
The report offers evidence‑based recommendations to strengthen ECE for infants and toddlers, covering funding settings, flexible provision, child health, ratios and group-size, qualified and skilled…
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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