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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
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Teacher Member Posts
Cooking with Children – Using a Slow Cooker
Using a Slow Cooker for Teaching Children about Cooking and Preparing Kai
As a responsible teacher or educator you role model and pass on good nutritional dietary habits… don’t you? Well…, in front of the children anyway! But does this mean leaving a wonderful learning opportunity consigned to the pantry? It probably mean
All Together Now – Providing Family Learning Sessions
Family learning sessions highlight how much parents shape their children’s development and how early childhood teachers can strengthen that impact by meaningfully engaging families. This article is essential reading for New Zealand ECE teachers because it shows why adopting these approaches can deepen partnerships with parents and enrich learning beyond the ECE setting.
What a Primary Caregiving System is and Common Questions
This article provides an easy-to-read discussion about primary caregiving in early childhood centres. It covers some common questions and concerns relating to a primary caregiving system.
The main reason why early childhood services go for this particular organisational model of staffing is they are concerned for
Casual, Fixed‑Term, or Permanent? What Early Childhood Teachers Need to Know
It’s becoming common for early childhood services to place teaching staff on casual or fixed‑term contracts – when the role is ongoing and really should be permanent.
Since the government changed pay‑parity rules to exclude all non‑permanent teaching staff, we’re hearing from teachers that some employers are now using casual and fixed‑term contracts to avoid paying qualified and certificated teachers the pay‑parity rates they receive funding for. This can mean lost income, fewer rights, and less job protection for teachers who should legally be permanent.
It’s more important than ever to understand your rights and know what type of employment you actually have – not just what your contract says.
Log in with your member details to read the full guidance. If your membership has lapsed or you’d like to join, get in touch and we’ll help you get set up quickly.
If this is happening to you or to a colleague, it matters. You need to know your rights and be certain about the type of employment you actually have.
Service Provider Member Posts
Business Structures and Board Legal Requirements
ECE Business Structures.
Early childhood education and care services differ in organisational type.
Here is an outline of different business types, the defining features, and broad legal requirements for each.
Owner-Operated or Sole Trader
Any person can own an early childhood service business. They collect all profits
When Parents Want to Bargain Over Childcare Fees
Parents negotiating fees can put pressure on your pricing policies.
Learn how to hold the line on fairness and why a carefully chosen discounted spot can sometimes be smarter than leaving a space empty
A Small Privately-Owned Centre Set-Up
Small Privately-Owned Centre. By Marian Ayres Hill.
Setting up, managing and teaching in a small private preschool has many challenges, however it is very rewarding when you see the enormous benefits that a small owner-operated centre brings to children.
This is my story.
I trained as a kindergarten teacher in the 70s and spent 2
Children Screaming – Risk to Adult and Child Hearing
How a child screaming can hurt adult ears
What did you say? I can’t hear you. I’m cuddling a circular saw!
By James Lochead-Macmillan.
Most research into screaming children focuses on the production of the stress hormone Cortisol.
What is significantly less reported is how dangerous that screaming child is to their car
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Index for the NZ Research in ECE Journal, 2002, Vol 5
The titles, authors and abstracts for papers published in the NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, Volume 5, 2002 are shown below.
To view any paper, scroll to the end of this page for copies.
Research as a Journey: The New Researcher as a First-time Traveller
Michael GaffneyChildren’s Issues Centre, DunedinNZ
Men who Teach Young Children: An International Perspective by David Brody
Author Dr David Brody provides a penetrating look at the lives and personal beliefs of male early childhood and kindergarten teachers. He also reviews the cultural values and conditions that have shaped and influenced the path they travel.
“A City Possessed”: The Christchurch Civic Creche Case by Lynley Hood
No other case of child abuse in New Zealand’s history has held public attention so strongly and for so long as the Christchurch Civic Creche case. Lynley Hood persisted, despite legal and other pressures, to get to the bottom of the case.
Field-Based Early Childhood Student Teachers – Who Are They and What Challenges Do They Face?
This research examines the demographic characteristics of students who choose to do field-based early childhood education teacher training and identifies challenges they face in relation to gender, career choice and academic expectations. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
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