Health and safety in ECE: What Worksafe and Ministry documents reveal about four serious harm incidents
ANALYSIS/OPINION – 5 September 2025
A child temporarily lost consciousness and was taken to hospital in an ambulance after choking while eating at an Auckland early childhood centre.
Details of the incident are being made public for th
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Anyone thinking about getting a job in ECE working in ECE or thinking about moving to a different service will find clear, practical information in this article about pay rates, employment conditions, and what to expect in different roles. It explains everything from starting salaries and pay‑step calculations to workplace rights, benefits, and how to recognise a supportive, professional environment.
Discover the key organisations and sector groups shaping early childhood education in New Zealand – who they are, what they do, and how they influence the services, policies, and people at the heart of the ECE sector.
Getting a job. How can my ECE qualification help me to get a job? With an early childhood teaching qualification you may find yourself attractive
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.
SARAH’S VIEW – OPINION COLUMN. The recent discovery of asbestos in commercially produced coloured sand sold in Aotearoa and Australia should prompt more than immediate safety checks and recalls, it should spark a wider conversation about why early childhood services and schools are buying mass‑produced sensory products in the first place.
Brightly packaged items promise instant appeal, but when something as basic as sand can carry hidden hazards, the trade‑offs are stark.
Children’s Immunisation and ECE.
One of the key international measures of a healthy population is a country’s percentage of children fully immunised against diseases.
The higher the immunisation rate, the more successful NZ is seen to be in protecting young children’s health. However, there are things you need to know and issues
Play and the Professional Early Childhood Teacher: A Personal Reflection.
Sue Stover. AUT University, New Zealand.
Full Reference: Stover, S. (2014). Play and the professional early childhood teacher: A personal reflection. NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal. Special Issue: Early Childhood Policy, 17, 89-100.
Ori
Employers’ obligations and rights on paying staff overtime and when they work outside of normal hours. This article covers what constitutes work outside of normal work hours that an employee must be paid for. NZ employment law that cannot be negotiated out of with an employee. Legal requirements for waged and salaried staff. It also tells you
The role of Santa in ECE – Some things you might want to consider before inviting the “big man in red” to visit your service
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