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.”
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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?
