Attracting and Retaining Diverse Kaiako in Early Childhood Education in Aotearoa New Zealand

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aditya

Aotearoa New Zealand is a bicultural, superdiverse society where early childhood education (ECE) must deliver equitable outcomes for Māori tamariki and other minority groups under Tiriti o Waitangi and Treaty of Waitangi principles. The study examines barriers and facilitators for attracting and retaining diverse ECE kaiako, focusing on workforce representation and inclusive workplaces. Evidence indicates progress, yet continued efforts are required to make teacher supply and settings genuinely representative and inclusive, supporting world-class inclusive ECE for all.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Diversity Issues within the Context of Early Childhood Education

Attracting and Retaining Diverse Kaiako in Early Childhood Education in Aotearoa New Zealand New Zealand Journal of Teachers’ Work, Volume 19, Issue 2, 104-118, 2022 VERONICA GRIFFITHS ERIN HALL DEREK HARTLEY FLEUR HOHAIA-ROLLINSON JENNY MALCOLM KERRY PURDUE ALICE TATE Te Pūkenga | New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology ABSTRACT Aotearoa New Zealand is a bicultural nation with a superdiverse society, a feature which presents opportunities and challenges for our early childhood education (ECE) sector (Chan & Ritchie, 2020). A primary challenge within the sector is achieving, in accordance with the partnership, protection and participation principles ofte Tiriti o Waitangi and the Treaty of Waitangi, equitable educational outcomes for Māori tamariki (children) as well as for tamariki from the many other minority groups attending ECE services. An important over-arching policy initiative in this regard is growing and sustaining a quality ECE teacher workforce that reflects and represents Aotearoa New Zealand’s increasingly diverse society (Ministry of Education, 2019). Research evidence suggests that such a workforce can make a positive contribution to ensuring more equitable educational environments for diverse tamariki, their whānau (family and extended family) and their communities. Our study investigated barriers to and facilitators of attracting diverse kaiako (teacher) to ECE in Aotearoa New Zealand and retaining them once there. Although our research showed some positive developments in this regard, it also indicates much work is still needed to ensure our ECE teacher workforce and workplaces are representative of and inclusive towards diversity. We hope this research and its recommendations will create further discussion and reflection around the opportunities and challenges still ahead of us in working towards a world-class inclusive ECE education system for all (New Zealand Government, 2019). INTRODUCTION The Aotearoa New Zealand Labour-led Government considers investment in a well-qualified ECE workforce that mirrors the diverse communities constituting Aotearoa New Zealand’s population a vital step in improving educational outcomes for tamariki attending ECE settings (Ministry of Education, 2019; New Zealand Government, 2019) . An inclusive workforce is one that effectively reflects the diverse identities, languages, cultures, and backgrounds of tamariki, their whānau and their communities that ECE kaiako serve (Ministry of Education, 2017) . As researchers (Chan & Ritchie, 2020; Cherrington & Shuker, 2012; Nuttall et al. , 2021) point out, a culturally responsive teacher workforce brings the advantage of more equitable education environments for teacher and learner alike. ECE statistical data (New Zealand Government, 2021) show 97 percent of the teaching workforce in ECE are female, with less than 3 percent male. Of the full ECE teaching workforce, 65 percent identify as European/Pākehā, 16 percent as Asian, 8 percent as Māori, 7 percent as Pacific, and 4 percent as Other. To ensure Aotearoa New Zealand’s ECE teaching workforce represents the diversities in our society, initial teacher education (ITE) providers must find ways to ensure pathways into the profession are sufficiently flexible and robust to attract diverse individuals to it while safeguarding teaching quality (Ministry of Education, 2019) . It is likewise important that leaders of early learning services consider the diversities represented in their teaching teams to determine if they genuinely reflect the communities in which they serve and to ensure that they provide diverse kaiako with culturally safe, equitable and fair workplaces to support retention in the profession (Griffiths et al. , 2021) . At present, attracting sufficient numbers of people to Aotearoa New Zealand’s ECE workforce is proving difficult, let alone ensuring that the workforce is sufficiently diverse. In 2020, the total number of students enrolling i

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study in this article?

To investigate barriers to and facilitators of attracting diverse kaiako to ECE in Aotearoa New Zealand and retaining them once there.

Why is workforce diversity considered important for ECE outcomes?

An inclusive, culturally responsive teacher workforce can support more equitable educational environments for diverse tamariki, their whānau, and communities.

What workforce challenges are discussed as affecting recruitment and retention?

The text highlights difficulty attracting sufficient numbers into the ECE workforce, gender imbalance, declining enrolments in ECE ITE, regional skills shortages, and pressures intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aditya