MEETING SUBJECT:
Early Childhood Education Advisory Group (ECEAG)
DATE OF MEETING:
16 September 2021
TIME OF MEETING:
9:30am – 3:30pm
VENUE:
Via Zoom
ATTENDEES:
Clair Edgeler, Frian Wadia, Rebecca Chatwin, Alex Gunn, Tracey Hooker;
Arapera Card, Annie Gordon, Jihye Shin, Jenny Ritchie
Pauline Barnes (Deputy CE – Professional Services), Jayne Franklin (Manager
Teacher Capability & Collaboration), Prisca MacDonald (Teacher Capability &
Collaboration Team Leader), Libby Tregear (Sr Policy Analyst), Susan Fogarty,
(Communications Manager), Fiona Majendie-Williams (Sr Communications
Advisor), Simon Cottle (Senior Adviser), April-Mae Marshall (Board Secretary)
APOLOGIES:
Vicki Hiini, Lealofi Kupa,
1. Karakia / Opening Remarks
Apologies were noted from Vicki Hiini and Lealofi Kupa. The Chair welcomed members leading a karakia.
Members noted their expectations that during the meeting they:
• hoped to find ways to connect with more ECE teachers;
• wanted to discuss the regulatory review and upcoming submission;
• hoped to look at ways to increase diversity and inclusion in the ECE sector.
2. Minutes from the previous meeting
The Board Secretary noted the change to sentence one of the minutes from March 2021 to read as:
The Acting Chair acknowledged Clair Edgeler’s apology for the hui. Arapera Card gave a special karakia for
Clair and her whānau.
One action point is yet to be completed: sending the Rauhuai postcards to members.
RECOMMENDATION
That the ECEAG
approves the minutes as a true and accurate record of the meeting held on 29 March 2021.
MOVED
SECONDED
CARRIED
ACTION: Board Secretary to send the Rauhuia postcards to ECEAG members.
3. ECE Regulations Review
Libby Tregear joined at 9:45AM
A presentation was lead in regard to a Teaching Council submission on changes to ECE regulations. The
following discussion noted:
1. that Option 3 for 80% options is the preferred options. This is noted as:
‘
services need to employ or engage 80% qualified and certificated teachers – whenever children
attend there must be 50% ECE qualified and certificated teachers in contact with children (measured
against minimum adult: child ratio requirements)’.
Members noted that there needs to be an acknowledgement in the submission on the issues
regarding in meeting this for rural areas and isolated communities, pathways for education and
workforce for ECEAG.
2. for Responsible Persons a submission document should address that the person must be an
ECE
qualified and
registered person, there should be strengthening around the wording regarding the
relationship with whānau and tamariki. Members noted the submission needs to address that
ongoing support and relationships for the responsible person is important within the consultation.
3. For Home-based ECE, members were pleased to see the home based referenced within the
documentation and advised this needs to be regularly overseen by an ECE qualified and registered
teacher. Members noted that the consultation needs to focus on reducing the ability to have
multiple visiting teachers at a service as it will give continuity to whānau, tamariki, and Home Based
Educators. Members noted that MoE will have a large job in regulating and monitoring home based
ECE.
A discussion on levels of qualifications for home-based educator knowledge fol owed, noting that Home
Based Educators from different providers have different knowledge levels and work is needed to ensure
that the qualifications and knowledge is more consistent across providers.
ACTION(S):
• Members to provide further advice to Libby Tregear
at [email address] by 5
October 2021.
• High-level minutes of discussion to be shared with the Governing Council at their next hui on 30
September.
• Next ECEAG hui have Tranche 3 discussion on the agenda.
Arapera Card joined the meeting at 10:45AM
4. Update on trauma informed practice
It was noted that there has been no update on this work from MoE. The Council has engaged with the
Ministry and is trying to progress this. The ECEAG wil be kept informed when further progress on trauma
informed practice is made available.
Members noted that MoE has developed a resource for the profession (He Mapuna te tamaiti) which
continues to have more of a behavioural approach with extremely set expectations of children. Another
piece of work is also underway, and MOE has sent out RFPs for additional work via GETZ. The concern
around development of these resources is that although MOE undertakes consultation, they did not appear
to have had a very long consultation period with the ECE profession. There were some concerns raised that
the learning resources from MoE could be further enhanced to ensure they are more holistic, inclusive and
supporting teachers to understand more deeply the causes of behaviour rather than strategies that only deal
with the behaviour itself.
Members noted that MoE has set up a working group to look at this mahi and help advice moving forward.
Additional guidance and practice documents have RFPs listed which have implications for the profession
RECOMMENDATION
The ECEAG
recommends that the Teaching Council meet with MoE and discuss the need to better consult
with the profession, including ECE before publishing advice.
Libby Tregear left the meeting at 11:32AM
5. Connecting with ECE teachers and services
Susan Fogarty and Fiona Majendie-Williams joined at 11:30AM
A discussion on the media the Council uses to communicate with the profession noted newsletters, social
media, specific platforms including unteach racism, webinars, message platforms.
Discussion noted that:
• The Council need to find ways to engage with ECE graduates and those on the ECE pathway early so
the Council’s work is not seen merely as ‘tick the box’ for certification. ECE students need to hear
more about the Council’s work whilst in their studies so they build meaningful connections with the
profession early and provide relevant, uplifting information to the profession on their work. Council
to consider ways to better connect with beginning kaiako during their pre-service study to ensure
they are aware of the mentoring, support, and information that is available for them.
• Suggested speaking to professional bodies such as the Early Childhood Council, organisational
networks and unions, on what information is relevant to their ECE members.
• The Council needs a stronger social media presence in order to connect with teachers as they are
studying and before they enter the profession; nurture a relationship on more than a certification
platform.
6. Rauhuia - Leadership Space
Pauline Barnes, Jayne Franklin, Prisca MacDonald, and Simon Cottle joined at 1:00PM
A presentation was given on the work to date and a following discussion noted:
• The profession needs a space to allow for partnership and collaboration, an opportunity for
individuals to do this in their own space. ‘Spaces and places’ for conversations that come from the
whole profession. A place to find unity, cohesion, and shared learnings.
• The ECE teachers need to be mentioned in this space since at the moment it tends to note primary
and other teachers and does not specifically speak to ECE.
• Rauhuia needs to be a space to coordinate efforts and recognise the emergent work established
leaders are doing as well as facilitate in the distribution, collection, and collaboration of varied
models of leadership such as emergent and distributed leadership.
• Leadership models need to reflect a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in engaging with Iwi
education leaders.
A presentation to share with ECE professionals was shared and members suggested changes including:
• Deletion of reference to the word engagement to be replaced with wording used within the sector.
• Adding timelines to let the profession know when things have and wil be done.
• Asking if the roles noted include those in ITE who are also certificated teachers.
• That Pedagogical leadership information at
https://tewhariki.tki.org.nz/en/leadership/ should in
included/referenced.
• This should highlight the Teaching Council values of empowerment/ whakamana - as teachers
supporting the leadership of other teachers, tamariki, rangatahi, and whanau
ACTION(S):
• ECEAG members to share ECE professionals who might be interested in working with the Council in
this mahi.
• Presentation to be sent to ECEAG when finalised.
• ECEAG members to speak with ECE colleagues on opportunities to be part of Complaints
Assessment Committ
ee [email address] , He Toa o ngā Paerewa, Part-time leader
to assist our Teaching Council TCC team.
Pauline Barnes, Jayne Franklin, Prisca MacDonald, and Simon Cottle left the meeting at 2:00PM.
7. Environmental Scan – What’s on top
Libby Tregear joined at 1:55PM
An environmental scan noted:
1. Auckland University will not be offering an under-graduate ECE qualification next year citing lack of
international students. This is noted as a temporary action.
2. ITE workloads have increased quite substantially in the last year with one lecturer citing 2000 hours
in one trimester.
3. The latest figures of ECE ITE enrolments notes a reduction of 6% in 2019. It was noted MoE has
mentioned an increase for 2021 but no statistics are known.
4. Te Mahau is scheduled to launch in October and there is interest in what this means for ECE
regarding PLD, strategy and regional coverage for things like the role of Curriculum Leads etc.
5. PLD providers tend to schedule classes considering primary and secondary teacher schedules with
little regard to those of ECE. This reduces the opportunities for ECE PLD.
6. Work continues with MoE on inclusive education, making Special Education Teachers feel
connected to resources and ensure this work is contextualised within Aotearoa’s bicultural
environment.
7. Latest pay parity announcement from the Minister mentions this is linked to meeting the Teaching
Council standard. Teachers who prove they meet the standard for pay parity should take the
opportunity to become registered and certified.
8. Work continues to change into curriculum and assessment at a very fast pace which is often
difficult to keep track of. These changes can be accessed at
https://www.education.govt.nz/our-
work/changes-in-education/curriculum-and-assessment-changes/
8. Other Business
None noted.
9. Meeting Closing
The meeting adjourned at 2:35.
Document Outline
