What does it mean to educate early childhood teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand?
Early childhood initial teacher education has never followed a simple course. Shaped by shifting political priorities, competing philosophies, and decades of advocacy, its story is one of continual negotiation and renewal. This book imagines that journey as a waka navigating choppy seas, drawing strength from those who have paddled before while adjusting its course to changing social, cultural, economic, and political currents.
The collection traces early childhood teacher education from the mid-20th century to the present and brings together historical accounts, research, personal narratives, and critical reflection. Contributors explore Māori and Pacific experiences, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, programme innovation, field-based education, professionalism, student teacher wellbeing, and the enduring tensions between theory, policy, and practice.
At its heart are vital questions: Who should provide initial teacher education? How should programmes be delivered? What knowledge and experience should guide them? How can teacher education honour language, culture, identity, tino rangatiratanga, and the rights of children and their families?
Honouring those who have shaped the profession, this collection invites today’s educators to learn from the past, engage critically with the present, and help steer the waka towards the future.
