Tēnā koutou katoa
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
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
Get Unrestricted Access to NZ’s Specialist ECE NEWSROOM
National and local stories, expert analysis, commentary, and more.
Education Bulletin and Sector Notices
Free to sign-up and receive
Membership Services and Support for:
Teacher Member Posts
What’s all the Fuss About Playdough?
Playing with playdough is an everyday occurrence at many ECE services, but the humble activity is subject to frequent debate with suggestions that playdough and other food based play ideas are culturally insensitive.
The debate is not new – it is revived every few years and has been around for at least the past 30 years.
One debate was
Supervision While Eating – What the Requirements Mean and the Indicators to Help You Meet Them Confidently
The “supervision while eating” criterion is often misunderstood, especially the fact that it covers not only high‑risk choking foods but also allergic reactions, which can create real confusion about what supervision in practice looks like. This article explains the core requirements and provides practical indicators so you can keep children safe, protect yourself from allegations of harm, and ensure your service remains fully compliant.
Men Should Change Nappies
Men Change Nappies – Men Who Change Nappies, Change the World. By Bryan G. Nelson.
Changing the nappies of other people’s children is something that few people, men or women, usually rush to do. And nappy changing is commonly viewed as a woman’s task anyway so we shouldn’t worry if men do it or not. Or should we?
I remember wor
Two Curriculum Paths -Te Ara Whānui and Te Ara Māori
Regardless of what your service chooses to implement, as a teacher its very useful for you to know and have an understanding of the differences in Part A and Part B of the Curriculum Framework. Te Ara Māori or Te Ara Whānui.
Service Provider Member Posts
Losing a Child or Preventing Children Escaping Policy
Prevent Child Escapes.
Having a child slip out of a gate un-noticed or being sent home with the wrong person is something that everyone would dread.
It is expected that children are safe in their ECE environment and cared for at all times.
So in terms of developing policy and involving parents and others to play their part in ensuring th
Building the Real Quality of Your ECE Service
Beyond Regulatory Standards and Expectations to Building Quality.
There seems to be so much to do in trying to provide a quality service, does there not?
Is all your work worth it or could a change in focus and method achieve better results?
To help you to think critically on this consider the following:
Who defines what quality is? A
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 in with your member details to read more. If your membership has lapsed and you’d like to renew – or if you’re interested in becoming a member – just get in touch with us and we’ll help you get started.
Running an early childhood service is demanding, and ensuring smooth staffing throughout the day can be challenging.
Most ECE employers genuinely want to support their staff and run a safe, high‑quality service. Providing rest and meal breaks is a key part of that.
This article outlines what employers must legally provide, why exemptions do not apply to ECE, and how to manage breaks while operating and maintaining a high standard of service.
Getting Men to Apply for Your Staff Vacancy
Male job applicants.
We are advertising for a teacher and have received some quality applications so far, but no applications from males. We would love to have a male applicant or two – any ideas of how we could achieve this?Service provider
Dr Alexander replies:
Finding male staff can be difficult because there are disproportionat
Research Library – Today’s Featured Articles
Early Childhood Educator Perceptions of Children’s Physical Activity and the Outdoors
Research on how early childhood educators perceive the natural features outdoors influencing children’s movement development and physical activity. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Embedding Parents’ Perspectives in the Discourse for Quality Education and Care in the Early Years
The links between leadership, the quality of early childhood service provision, and authentic dialogue and partnership with parents. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
The Production of ‘Worthwhile’ Knowledge about Quality in Early Years Education
Confusion over what “quality” means in early childhood education has grown as new stakeholder and postmodern perspectives have emerged. This paper breaks quality into three distinct dimensions and shows how each leads to very different paths for quality assurance and outcomes.
Educators Listening and Partnering with Parents: Recognising Parental Wellbeing and Agency
Research on parent wellbeing and recognising parent agency in ECE. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
What We Do
Resources
