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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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Teacher Member Posts

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Job Guidance

Domestic Violence Leave

Early Childhood Teacher Domestic Violence Leave.

If you have any problem getting your right to domestic violence leave you can go to Employment New Zealand for support (there is no charge) or complain to the Human Rights Commission.

Contents:

Providing proof of domestic violence requirements. Your obligations, rights, entitlements, an

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children's feet
Job Guidance

When Your Service is Not Meeting Adult-Child Ratio Minimums

Not meeting adult:child ratios.

There are various ways that adult-child ratios can become a problem.

For example, does your manager or boss tell you that it is okay to go under ratio and not replace you when you go on morning-tea breaks and on other occasions provided you are still in the building or on the grounds?   

Ratios

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Job Interview ECE Teacher.
Job Guidance

Volunteers and Unpaid Workers in ECE – Your Rights

Voluntary work in ECE.

There are many examples in the early childhood sector of different ways employers may rely on free labour, such as:

I was offered an unpaid position and it was a foot in the door as there were no jobs going in my area. I’ve been at ____ for four months and I do the same work as other teachers.

My centre manager t

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early childhood education staff interviews
Putting Theory into Practice

Self Review: Working Smarter, Not Harder for Best Practice

Self-Review. By Janet Moles.

As I quietly move close to the habitat of an early childhood centre, I observe that the group is in the midst of the strange ritual known as ‘The Staff Meeting’. In this gathering, the leader communicates to the group, the tasks to be achieved, assigns duties and informs them of new requirements, rules and exp

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Service Provider Member Posts

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Puddle jumping after the rain
Health and Safety Management

Flooding

Flooding – what to do and what not to do when there is flooding or a threat of flooding.

Be prepared for floods to occur wherever you are located, but particularly if located in a low-lying area, near the coast, rivers and water, or downstream from a dam.

If sustained and hard rain follows a period of drought, flooding can occur as the grou

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cleaning gloves and clothes hanging to dry
Employer Guides and Staff Management

Union Rights and ECE Service Provider Duties

Union rights.

Whether your early childhood service is party to a collective agreement or not – you need to know the ins and outs of the law on rights and duties in dealing with unions.

There are also obligations you must meet in respect of new staff appointments. Keep reading below to find out more.

You may also be interested in reading&

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redundancy - making a staff member redundant is not always easy
Employer Guides and Staff Management

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

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job interview
Employer Guides and Staff Management

Interview Questions for Teaching Job Applicants

This article goes over the broad areas to cover when interviewing an applicant and questions interviewers have found work.

When interviewing for a teaching position try to cover at least the following broad areas: 

Prior work experience and reasons for any gaps in the applicant’s work record.Qualifications, when, where, how, areas of

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Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles

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the importance of touch as part of caregiving and teaching children
Child Safety, Protection & Oversight in ECE

Touch in Early Childhood Education: Do No‑Touch Policies Belong?

The article explores how no‑touch policies in ECE emerged and why they continue to shape teacher behaviour, raising important questions about what kinds of touch are appropriate, safe, and developmentally necessary for young children. It’s a thought‑provoking read on how fear and policy can influence caring relationships at the heart of ECE.

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NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education journal
2019 NZIRECE Journal No. 2

Nurturing the Learning and Development of Children who are Refugees

Phillipa Harris.

Full reference:Harris, P. (2019). Nurturing the learning and development of children who are refugees. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal. Special issue presenting position papers, 22(2), pp. 26 – 34.

Page 26

Original Position Paper

Abstract

This position paper provides a plea for

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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.
Teacher supervising infant and young child playing in playground at ECE centre.

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