New data shows a dramatic decline in regulatory action against
The ECE sector has delivered an unexpected bright spot in
A young child was left alone in a locked early
Who is Who and Does What in Relation to the
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
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OPINION/ANALYSIS — 29 October 2025
After 16 years, the Ministry of Education has finally reviewed the Terms of Reference for its Early Childhood Advisory Committee (ECAC). While this might seem like a step forward, it instead exposes deep-rooted problems within our early childhood education system—problems that have left the sector fragile, divided, and declining in quality.
ECAC itself reflects the Ministry’s ongoing issues with oversight and governance. The way it continues to operate only further undermines the integrity and effectiveness of early childhood education in Aotearoa.
The ECAC review was a closed-shop exercise: only sitting committee members were invited to give feedback on it, thus essentially rewriting the rules that govern their own influence.
There was no public scrutiny, no broad stakeholder input, no fresh perspectives.
And yet, in the words of one Ministry official, ECAC’s role is “in advising on the real-world impacts of policy.”
Read the Full Details:
We welcome your thoughts and comments on ECAC. Add your reply below. What would a well-functioning, truly representative early childhood advisory committee to the Ministry of Education look like—one equipped with the knowledge, expertise, and diversity needed to provide meaningful, sector-wide advice?
The Structural Indicators of Quality ECE By Dr Sarah Alexander. Research on quality from a developmental psychology perspective has focused on the structural features of
Operating on the legally required adult:child teacher ratios. Opinion article. Dr Sarah Alexander. November 21, 2017. Staff burnout is what happens when you don’t have
Ask a Child to Say Sorry. By Warwick Marshall
Some early childhood service teachers do not want to ask a child to say sorry. They avoid this.
But why?
And what if anything is wrong with supporting children to say ‘sorry’?
Here is some reasoning on the matter.
No doubt there’s some kind of reasoning for it but this articl
Eczema is quite common among young children. Some children grow out of it but this knowledge doesn’t help children, parents and teachers who are daily coping with it. There are times when it will flare up, and when infection happens, and there may be no apparent reason for this. Learn to manage rather than letting it manage you.
A child wi
Early Intervention in Aotearoa New Zealand: Services and Challenges.
Kathleen Liberty. University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
Full reference: Liberty, K. (2014). Early intervention in Aotearoa New Zealand: Services and challenges. NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal. Special Issue: Early Childhood Policy, 17, 115-146.
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