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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
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- 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
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Teacher Member Posts

Making Volcanoes
Making Volcanoes with Children.
Children find volcanoes intriguing.
Here are some key facts and simple information to share with children about volcanoes and geysers, along with a ‘recipe’ for making your very own fun miniature demonstration volcano. Introducing knowledge and understanding of volcanoes is a common part of teaching and

Working More Hours than You are Being Paid
Not Being Paid for Hours Worked.
A teacher’s work is never done. This is a phrase that are heard all too often in early childhood education when referring to unpaid work that is done by teachers. It is almost an expectation in some services that teachers spend hours of their own time setting up, cleaning, attending staff meetings, attending w

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 marae.
If it’s your first time, you may feel nervous and keen to ensure you know what to do, to show respect to the haukainga.
Noho marae are a unique and powerful experience of learning and connectedness.
Many ECE teams attend noho marae. This may be for professional development, team building, wānanga, connecting with tangata whenua or all of these reasons! Noho marae are also usually included in initial Teacher Education programmes.
Pōwhiri Process
Pōwhiri are important welcoming ceremony which welcome manuhihi onto a marae.

Professional Growth Cycle
The Professional Growth Cycle PGC is the new requirement for registered teachers. The Teaching Council have acknowledged that it will continue to be developed and improve over time.
Contents
What does the Professional Growth Cycle (PGC) mean for ECE services? And what should ECE service managers/ leaders do?Does this mean that teachers will n
Service Provider Member Posts

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

Staff Discipline and Competence Policy
DISCIPLINE AND COMPETENCE POLICY.
A template to use for your discipline and competence policy.
Date Effective: __/__/20__
Review Date: __/__/202_
Rationale
<Service Name> is committed to providing children, staff and whānau with an environment which is safe and welcoming and promotes positive outcomes for all childr

First Aid Qualifications and Staffing Requirements – All ECE Services
Number of first aid qualified staff and which staff must be first aid qualified in which services
From 26 February 2024, all persons designated the ‘person responsible’ in teacher-led education and care centres, including kindergartens must hold a first aid qualification from a training provider recognised by New Zealand Qualifications Authority

Using the Internet to Benefit Your Service
Ways to use the Internet for parent and staff communication, and promoting your service.
With billions of pages and more being added every day, the internet can be a great source of inspiration and ideas for activities to do with children or for improving your service.
The internet can also be a great way to communicate with staff and within
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles

Index for the NZ Research in ECE Journal, 2004, Vol 7
The titles, authors and abstracts for papers published in the NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, Volume 7, 2004 are shown below. To view

Young Children Becoming Curriculum: Deleuze, Te Whāriki and Curricular Understandings
Marg Sellers contests the usual dichotomisation of children and curriculum, by proposing and developing the notion of re(con)ceiving children in curriculum.

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.

An Ethical Guide to Doing, Writing and Disseminating Research
The Ethics of Doing, Writing and Disseminating Research.
By Joy Cullen, Helen Hedges and Jane Bone. Republished by the Office of Early Childhood Education First Published in our NZ Research in ECE Journal, Volume 12, pp. 109-118.
This statement is intended to guide academic researchers, teachers, postgraduate students, managers, licensees
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