Abstract:
Children are acknowledged as precious taonga/treasure in Aotearoa New Zealand’s national early childhood curriculum and its founding Māori principles. The crux of early childhood education (ECE) in Aotearoa New Zealand is grounded in Te Whārikithat stemmed from a human-rights driven base, emphasizing responsive and reciprocal relationships with whānau/families, relationships with tamariki/children, and their language/s and cultures. In this paper, we describe the current status of inclusive ECE in Aotearoa New Zealand and practices that promote inclusion and inclusive environments. We conclude with forward-thinking directions to progress inclusive ECE in Aotearoa New Zealand.