Login / Logout
Join
Take Action!

Ministry of Education’s Early Childhood Advisory Committee (ECAC) in Urgent Need of Complete Overhaul

Search Newsroom Posts
early childhood education meetings committee boards

Initially, I set out to write a straightforward description of the Early Childhood Advisory Committee (ECAC). I reviewed newsletters, clippings, quotes, and documents relating to ECAC since its inception in 2009. The topic has often come up in conversations with colleagues, including those who have served on the committee. I also examined Ministry of Education responses to Official Information Act requests: September 2024 (OIA 1335686) and October 2020 (OIA 1243402).

As I began compiling the information, it became clear that ECAC is far more complex than it first appears.

I uncovered details that many in the early childhood education (ECE) sector likely do not know—risks that may even be unknown to some government ministers.

Importantly, ECAC members are under no obligation to look beyond the interests of their own businesses or service types. There is no requirement to consider the broader needs of the sector or the rights and interests of children.

The Ministry of Education has also confirmed that it does not know which licensed services are represented on ECAC, nor how many are excluded.

It has stated that it does not hold this information.

This is a member/subscriber only post. To access it, please see the message below for details on access and joining.
Already subscribed?
Login
ECE Newsroom

NZ’s own specialist ECE newsroom. 
Access national and local stories, in-depth analysis, & original commentaries.  

Subscribe Now
Membership Support for Teachers & Educators

(Comes with free Newsroom and Research access)

Become a Teacher Member
Membership Support for ECE Service Owners, Managers, & Community Organisations

(Comes with free Newsroom and Research access)

Become a Service Provider Member
Researchers & Tertiary Education Libraries

Full access to over 25 years of ECE academic research articles – NZIRECE Journal.
Plus, guidance and resources on doing and publishing research

Sign-up to a Research membership plan

Has this been useful?  Give us your feedback.

You are welcome to add a link to this page on your website. Copyright belongs to the OECE so please do not copy any content without our written permission.

Information provided is of a general nature. It is provided ‘as is’, and we accept no liability for its accuracy or completeness. See our Terms and Conditions.

Related Posts

question mark discussion

Are Learning Stories Working? Educators Share their Views

It is now some years since the Learning Stories approach to assessing children’s learning caught on and was widely and uncritically adopted by early childhood professionals in NZ.

Here we open up discussion and reflect on the use of the Learning Story approach to child assessment and how well it is working for teachers and children.

There

This is a member/subscriber only post. To access it, please see the message below for details on access and joining.

Read More »
child reading and literacy best age start school

Shared Cultural Responsiveness Teaching Strategies for Early Childhood Educators: Insights from Japanese and Australian Researchers

Full reference: Ba Akhlagh. S. and Yamada, M. (2025).  Shared cultural responsiveness teaching strategies for early childhood educators: Insights from Japanese and Australian researchers.  NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 27, pp. 17-30.  

Login to read the full research paper below. Or order a pdf copy of the article from the main NZIRECE Journal page.

ABSTRACT:
The global movement of migrants and refugees presents significant challenges for host countries, particularly in providing equitable and inclusive education for children. Nations such as Australia and Japan have become safe destinations, yet the extent to which they are prepared to facilitate culturally responsive early childhood education varies. This paper presents research-based strategies, developed by two researchers in Australia and Japan, that have proven to be practical and helpful for educators, supporting children from cultural and linguistic diverse (CALD) backgrounds in Australia. These strategies, currently offered to educators in Australia, are planned for implementation among Japanese early childhood educators from 2026. Drawing on shared expertise from both countries, the approach fosters mutual learning and adaptation, aiming to inspire educators worldwide to contextualise and apply these evidence-informed practices within their own early childhood education settings.

Key words:  Cultural responsiveness, educators, cross-cultural early childhood education teaching strategies, professional learning.

This is a member/subscriber only post. To access it, please see the message below for details on access and joining.

Read More »
Child looking at night sky for Matariki.

Matariki – Public Holiday 10 July 2026

Teaching and Learning about Matariki and Celebrating in Early Childhood Services

This article presents ideas and teaching and learning activities for marking this culturally important event in the curriculum of early childhood education centres and home-based services. 

In late May or early June, a cluster of seven stars becomes

This is a member/subscriber only post. To access it, please see the message below for details on access and joining.

Read More »
The Office of ECE

Share This Information

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

The Office of ECE Login

Take Action!

Help spread this vital ECE information, join our free social and email groups and become a member of OECE.

pay parity funding policy

1. Share This Information

2. Follow Our Social Pages

Facebook Instagram Linkedin Youtube X-twitter

3. Get Regular Updates

Sign up to our free newsletters.

4. Become a Member

Membership Options