About the Journal

This journal has been a part of the New Zealand early childhood community for a considerable length of time.

It was originally started by Caryl Hamer, who initiated the journal. Caryl Hamer had a long involvement in early childhood education. She has worked with a range of early childhood organisations including the NZ Playcentre Federation, YMCAs of New Zealand, Te Tari Puna Ora O Aotearoa/NZ Childcare Association and Anau Ako Pasifika.

Caryl then handed the reins to Cushla Scrivens at Massey University, who cared for it for several more years. On retirement, Cushla Scrivens handed the reins to Claire McLachlan and Sue Stover at AUT, who cared for it from 2006 onwards.

On Sue Stover’s retirement in early 2018, the reins were handed over to Claire McLachlan and Sally Peters (University of Waikato) and Karyn Aspden (Massey University). The journal also moved to an online, open access format at this time to increase the accessibility of the journal.

From 2024 the journal returns to its roots at Massey University, and we look forward to continuing growth in partnership with the Massey University Early Years Research Lab. 

The purpose of the journal has remained unchanged in this time, although the style has changed a bit over time. The key purpose is to share ideas about early childhood education in New Zealand, which will be useful to many groups. The articles have been used by providers of initial teacher education (ITE) in reading lists for pre-service teachers, by professional development providers with in-service teachers and by teachers and policy makers as guides for good practice. There has often also been a topical focus on the early childhood politics of the time, which make the journal a useful repository of historical accounts of early childhood in New Zealand. We hope that the journal continues to have a useful place in education in New Zealand and beyond, where we also know that it has readership.

The Coverage Time

Early Education has been published twice yearly since 1987. It will move to annual publication from 2018.

Current Issue

Vol. 68 No. Autumn (2023): Early Education Journal
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