Early Childhood Education (ECE) qualifications Levels 1-6

The Early Childhood Education (ECE) qualifications review scheduled for 2020 has been completed, and the reviewed qualifications were approved April 2021. Refer below to the Find a New Zealand ECE Qualification section for links to the current qualifications, and to the 2020-21 ECE qualifications review section for information about the review.

Consistency events for the Level 3-6 ECE qualifications were held in 2019-20. Reports and further information on this are available from the consistency of graduate outcomes webpage for New Zealand qualifications.

NZQA National Qualifications Services (NQS) is the standard setting body for unit standards in ECE, including Pacific Island Early Childhood Education. Unit standards have been developed for use as assessment tools in programmes leading towards the Level 2-4 ECE qualifications, and these ECE standards are being reviewed in 2021.

Find a New Zealand ECE Qualification

View a pathways map (PDF, 490KB) for the ten NZ ECE qualifications. These ECE qualifications can be accessed through the NZQA links below or by searching for the qualification reference number or title.

General Suite

There is also a new qualification designed for offshore markets:

There will be a transition phase, and people currently enrolled in programmes leading to version 1 of the qualifications may either complete the requirements by 31 December 2023 (2024 for Ref: 2848) or transfer to version 2 of the qualification (or the new qualification Ref: 4338 for Level 2).

Prior versions - if you require copies of any prior versions of these qualifications, please email ecequals.review@nzqa.govt.nz

Mātauranga Māori Early Learning Suite

Information on the suite of Early Learning Mātauranga Māori qualifications is available on the Mātauranga Māori Qualifications and Assessment Standards webpage.

Guidance material is available to assist in the development of programmes to meet the graduate profile outcomes of qualifications in the Mātauranga Māori Early Learning area.

Programme approval and provider accreditation

Providers will need to obtain programme approval and provider accreditation to deliver an approved programme before they can offer the qualifications. A programme change will be required before current providers can offer the reviewed versions of the qualifications – see Changes to programme approvals.

The New Zealand Certificates for secondary schools webpage provides information for those wanting to be accredited to offer an approved programme towards New Zealand qualifications at levels 1-6 (non-NCEA) in a school-based setting.

For information on the development and review of these qualifications, refer to the 2020-21 ECE qualifications review or Mandatory Review of ECE qualifications (2013-2016) sections below.

2020-21 ECE qualifications review

The reviewed Early Childhood Education qualifications were approved on 23 April 2021. This includes five reviewed qualifications, with two new qualifications.

The major changes include:

  • The existing NZ Certificate in Early Childhood Learning and Care (Level 2) (40 credits) [Ref: 2848] was replaced by a 60-credit qualification - the NZ Certificate in Early Learning and Care (Level 2) [Ref: 4338]
  • The title of the Level 3 Certificate qualification was changed to include Introductory Skills
  • The qualifications were updated to better match current sector practice and needs, and current listing requirements
  • A new Level 4 qualification was developed, designed for offshore delivery and pathways - NZQF Certificate in Early Childhood Education (Level 4) with an optional strand in Practice-based Care [Ref: 4348].

Further detail is available from the Change report for the review of New Zealand Early Childhood Education and Care qualifications April 2021, and the 'Background on the review' section below.

Providers will need to obtain programme approval and provider accreditation to deliver an approved programme before they can offer the qualifications. A programme change will be required before current providers can offer the reviewed versions of the qualifications – see Changes to programme approvals.

The current published versions of the qualifications are available from the Find a New Zealand ECE qualification drop down menu above, or by searching for the qualification reference number or title.

Background on the review

The suite of five Early Childhood Education (ECE) qualifications [Ref: 2848 – 2852] listed on the NZQF in February 2016 have been reviewed.

The review excluded the suite of five Mātauranga Māori Early Learning qualifications listed in February 2016, which have been reviewed separately by Māori Qualifications Services (MQS).

The current qualification developer, NZQA Qualifications Services on behalf of and in collaboration with the sector, led the review under the strategic guidance of a Governance Group, and with the input of expert working groups. 

Pre-review feedback on any aspect of the qualifications was sought March – June 2020, to identify key areas for update and to identify changes required to ensure the suite of qualifications would still be relevant and fit for purpose. Expressions of interest to be involved in the Governance and/or expert working groups were sought at the same time.

The Governance Group convened in July, August and October 2020 to address issues for the entire suite, and to provide overarching strategic guidance and maintain an overview role for the review.   

Two expert working groups (Certificates and Diplomas) were convened in July and August 2020 to undertake a detailed review of each qualification. The Governance Group endorsed the draft qualifications for consultation.

The draft reviewed Early Childhood Education qualifications were consulted on during September 2020, and feedback received was generally in support of the reviewed qualifications. The Governance Group met to consider the feedback and make some minor changes prior to the reviewed qualifications being endorsed for submission in November 2020.

If you wish to receive email updates, and/or make contact regarding ECE qualifications at Levels 2-6, please email ecequals.review@nzqa.govt.nz.

Quick links to documents

Mandatory review of ECE qualifications (2013-2016)

Qualifications in Early Childhood Education (ECE) were scheduled for review in 2014 as part of the nation-wide mandatory review of qualifications. There were a range of ECE qualifications with some apparently similar qualifications at the same level.

The mandatory review was to reduce the duplication and proliferation of qualifications on a national scale, and to ensure that qualifications are useful, relevant and valuable to current and future learners, employers and other stakeholders.

The review was jointly led by the New Zealand Career College (NZCC – now part of ACG, NZMA), Waiariki Institute of Technology (Waiariki – now Toi Ohomai), and NZQA National Qualification Services (NQS). The co-leads worked together to establish the terms of reference for the working relationship for the review.

The ECE Governance Group (ECE GG) provided the strategic leadership and direction, and an effective decision-making structure for the review. The ECE GG guided the qualification development direction, considered the consultation feedback, and endorsed the draft qualifications through the various stages. The steering group met thirteen times between January 2014 and the listing of the new qualifications in February 2016.

Stakeholders and interested parties were encouraged to be involved in the review and share their thoughts on the future of ECE qualifications in New Zealand. There were opportunities to be on the Governance Group, members of working groups (one to develop the stream of general ECE qualifications which include Pasifika, and one to develop the Mātauranga Māori stream of ECE qualifications), and/or attend sector meetings or respond to the three stages of consultations. Consultation documents are available from the links below.

NZQF2 and NZQF4 stakeholder attestation forms provided evidence that the co-leads consulted with a wide range of stakeholders during the review and development process. Completion of these forms helped meet review obligations.

In February 2016 the proposed suite of ten new ECE qualifications, including five Mātauranga Māori ECE qualifications, were approved for listing.

Key Documents

Consultation documents

Sector meetings/hui were held in November 2013 and July 2014, and presentations and meetings notes are available on request from ecequals.review@nzqa.govt.nz.

Unit standards aligned to Level 2-4 NZ ECE certificates

NZQA National Qualifications Services developed and reviewed thirty-four Early Childhood unit standards, to ensure there is a suite of standards suitable for those who wish to use standards as assessment tools in programmes towards version 1 of the following three qualifications:

The Landscape of ECE unit standards mapped to new NZ qualifications at Levels 2-4 (DOCX, 48KB) provides details of the standards' titles and credits, by level. This information may help inform programme development.

Further information is available from the ECE standards development and review webpage, and details are available in the April 2017 review of Early Childhood Education and Care unit standards change report.

The ECE unit standards are being reviewed during 2021, following the publication of the reviewed ECE qualifications, to check they remain suitably aligned to the reviewed qualifications.

If you wish to subscribe to receive email updates, and/or make contact regarding ECE unit standards, please email ece.review@nzqa.govt.nz.

Contact

If you wish to subscribe to receive email updates, and/or make contact regarding ECE qualifications at Levels 2-6, please email ecequals.review@nzqa.govt.nz.

 
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