FIELD EDUCATION
Review of Early Childhood Education and Care qualification
National Certificatein Early Childhood Education and Care with strands in Centre Based, Home Based, Nanny, and Parenting (Level 5) [Ref: 0430]
The National Qualifications Services (NQS) of NZQA has completed the review of the qualification listed above that was registered in February 1998.
Date new version published January 2005
In November 2002, a steering group was convened with representatives of key stakeholder organisations, to be the New Zealand Qualifications Authority's principal adviser for the review of the Early Childhood Education and Care unit standards. The steering group recommended that a review be carried out on the early childhood education and care unit standards and qualifications that were left on the Framework to ensure that they were fit for purpose following the deregistration of the Level 7 and 8 early childhood unit standards.
The review of the lower level unit standards had been completed in early 2004 and the new versions of the lower level unit standards were registered. The new versions of unit standards in levels 4-6 were registered in January 2005.
The review of the National Certificate in Early Childhood and Care with strands in Centre Based, Home Based, Nanny, and Parenting (Level 5) was undertaken in April 2004 and involved a consultation process with stakeholders. Feedback was taken on board by the review panel and it was agreed that the focus of the qualification should be to build on the knowledge, skills, and attributes of early childhood education and care in the National Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 3) [Ref: 0403] and to prepare learners for further study at a diploma or degree level. Strands and electives were removed as basic principles of early childhood education and care apply across different settings. The title of the qualification has changed accordingly.
Main changes resulting from the review
The focus of the qualification is on knowledge, skills and attributes required for early childhood education and care across all early childhood services. These skills are generic to and applicable in all early childhood settings.
New title: National Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 5)
Changes to structure and content
· Strands deleted; all unit standards in the qualification are now compulsory
· Purpose statement updated
· Total credits changed from 109-125 to 126
· Expiring ECE unit standards 12733 and 9294 removed
· Levels and credits of reviewed ECE unit standards 9293, 9297, 9301, 9302, 10025, and 10032 updated
· Food Technology and Nutrition unit standard 6632 replaced by unit standard 6630
· ECE unit standards 9337, 10030, 10031, 10037, 10038, 12736, and 12737 removed from the qualification
· Strand elective unit standards from the subfields Management, Adult Education and Te Mātauranga Māori, 3699, 3700, 7107, 9734, and 11101, removed from the qualification
· Strand compulsory unit standards 10033, 10034, 10611, and 12735 retained
· New ECE unit standards 20406 and 20407 added to the qualification.
Transition
People currently enrolled in programmes leading to the award of version 2 of this qualification may either complete the requirements for that version, or transfer their results to version 3. People who choose to complete version 2 have until December 2007 to do so.
Providers may offer programmes based on version 3 as soon as it is registered.
All new programmes from January 2006 must lead to version 3.
It is the intention of the National Qualifications Services (NQS) that no person should be disadvantaged by these changes. Any person who believes they have been disadvantaged should contact NQS at:
National Qualifications Services
NZQA
PO Box 160
WELLINGTON
Telephone 04 802 3000
Email nqs@nzqa.govt.nz