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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
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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
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
Speaking Up in ECE: How to Raise Issues in Your Workplace or Community, Influence Change, and Advocate
If something in your workplace or in the wider ECE sector isn’t sitting right with you, you’re not alone – and you’re not powerless.
We speak up to protect children, strengthen the profession, and create healthier, safer workplaces.
But raising concerns can feel overwhelming, scary, and hard.
Think of one thing you’d really like to change. This article helps you work out the best way to communicate it – whether that’s addressing an issue with your employer, raising a sector‑wide concern, or advocating for children’s rights.
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 with us or go to the Join page on our website.
You’ll learn about common stumbling blocks, ways to build your confidence, and take the next step without feeling out of your depth.
Ko Tau Rourou Ko Taku Rourou ā Kua Mārama Shared Understandings and Reflection on Wairua
Reflections on Wairua. By Ngaroma Williams and Michelle Anderson with peer-review by Dr Mere Skerrett.
We came to write this article through asking questions, seeking clarification, providing each other examples of our own experiences, and then highlighting what these experiences look like using teaching and learning narrative approaches
Teacher Education Staff Uncertain About Accepting Male Students
Accepting Males into Teaching Course.
Why should we continue to accept men into our teacher education programme when they have difficulty fitting in and so often have difficulty completing training? Our experience has been that that they either withdraw into themselves or do the opposite and become the joker in their class. Out o
Service Provider Member Posts
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
No-Cost Ways to Find Teaching Staff Before Other Employers Do
Finding teaching staff.
Are you having difficulty finding staff who are suitable for your early childhood centre or home-based service?
Do you have no or very little money to spend on advertising?
Here are strategies that are simple, take little time, and are often overlooked – but have proven very effective for getting the
Sandpit Design
A good sandpit design for an ECE service sees it being large enough to accommodate half or more of the children attending. It should provide enough room for each child to stand or sit and dig without touching or getting sand on another child.
In home-based settings, the sandpit design should make sure it is of sufficient size to accommodate
The Difference Between a Salary and a Wage – and Work Hour Maximums
Salary and Wage Differences.
An employment contract must state the type of pay an employee will be paid.
Wage refers to the amount of money that is paid to an employee, by the hour, and it may vary from one pay period to the next depending on the number of hours the worker is employed.
Salary refers to a fixed amount of pay regardl
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
The teacher’s role in visual arts learning
Great research on the visual arts experiences of young children (aged 3-4) at early childhood settings in NZ. Learn about the experiences and visual arts pedagogies of early childhood teachers. Login to read the full research paper below. Or you can order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Index for the NZ Research in ECE Journal, 1999, Vol 2
The titles, authors and abstracts for papers published in the NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, Volume 2, 1999 are shown below.
To view any paper, scroll to the end of this page for copies.
Digging Deep: But Who Gets the Pickings When the Researcher Goes Home?
Ann HatherlyAuckland College of Educa
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 any paper, scroll to the end of this page for copies.
Archive fragments: Infant Schools for the Youngest Settler Children in the Colony of New Zealand, 1840-50s
Helen MayVicto
Early Childhood Practitioners Developing an Academic Voice and Tutors Making Sense of the Research Process
The study shares insights into the way undergraduate students who are early childhood practitioners in their final year of study developed an academic voice beyond the walls of a University. It was designed by two University tutors who followed the progress of a number of student/practitioners who came together with the intention of editing and pub
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