Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education)

EIT

Subject area

Teacher Education: Early Childhood (Pre-Service)

Qualification

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Entry requirements

The academic entry requirement for the HB4097 Bachelor of Teaching (ECE) is one of the following:
- University Entrance (as defined by the NZQA), or equivalent (for international applicants not schooled in New Zealand)
- for applicants under the age of 20 years at the beginning of the academic year, who do not have University Entrance or equivalent, entry may be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the School of Education and Social Sciences policy on discretionary entry (See Supplementary Material 7.1)
- for applicants over the age of 20 years at the beginning of the academic year, evidence of the potential to succeed in tertiary study at degree level, including demonstrated literacy and numeracy competence equivalent to that required for University Entrance

Additional requirements:
- All applicants must be over the age of 17 years at the beginning of the academic year.
- In support of their application, all applicants must supply a CV that includes a detailed account of their educational background, evidence of a commitment to the education of mokopuna, experience with children, and an openness to learning.

Note: Entry to the programme may be limited by the number of places available.

English language
All applicants must demonstrate an acceptable level of English language fluency prior to acceptance in the programme. Ways in which this may be demonstrated, besides by New Zealand University Entrance, are detailed in the current Teaching Council Initial Teacher Education Requirements.
For applicants with English as an Additional Language, English language fluency may be demonstrated by
- an IELTS Academic score of 7, with no band score lower than 7, achieved in a single test within the two years preceding enrolment; or
- an equivalent score on a test of English language proficiency, as set out in the current Teaching Council Initial Teacher Education Requirements, achieved in a single test within the two years preceding enrolment. Note that exemptions may apply to the above as per current Teaching Council Initial Teacher Education Requirements.

Literacy and numeracy All applicants will be required to pass
I. a literacy competency assessment set by EIT's School of Education and Social Sciences; and
II. a numeracy competency assessment set by EIT's School of Education and Social Sciences. Applicants who pass the assessments in (i) and (ii) will be considered for enrolment in the programme in line with the overall selection process outlined in Section 5.4.
The literacy and numeracy assessments (see Supplementary Material 7.2, 7.3, 7.4) are conducted in written format under assessment conditions at EIT. Applicants are not supervised for the entire assessment, as it is open-ended time-wise. Applicants do not have access to calculators or dictionaries. The literacy and numeracy assessments focus on the literacy and mathematics competency needed for teaching in an early childhood education context. The numeracy assessment includes questions based around Levels 1-4 of the New Zealand Curriculum and is deemed equivalent to NCEA Level 1 standard.

About the course

What can I expect out of this qualification?

The Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) is an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) degree. The aim of this programme is to prepare Student Teachers who are able to demonstrate that they meet Standards for the Teaching Profession/Nga Paerewa mo te Umanga Whakaakoranga (in a supported environment) and uphold the expectations of Our Code Our Standards: Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards for the Teaching Profession.

The programme prepares graduates to teach in the bicultural context of Aotearoa New Zealand, and primarily in the geographical area of the East Coast of the North Island, encompassing iwi of the local rohe as mana whenua. Students entering this programme will be those with a passion for children and an interest in a career teaching in New Zealand early childhood settings. Potential students may come from diverse backgrounds, for example:
- School leavers wishing to start their careers;
- People seeking a career change
- People in full-time/part-time ECE work needing a formal qualification; and
- International students looking for a rewarding career in New Zealand.

Graduates will use Te Tiriti o Waitangi to guide practice with an understanding of the history, language and importance of Maori and recognition of Maori place as mana whenua. The programme also prepares graduates to support the educational success of Pasifika learners in our rohe, as a significant ethnic grouping in Aotearoa New Zealand. The programme design and its delivery are geared toward this aim. The conceptual framework diagram is embedded in the rohe of Ngati Kahungunu, and further collaboration would be required with iwi of another region should the programme be offered there.

Graduates from this programme will demonstrate a set of core competencies described as Key Teaching Tasks that an early childhood education leader can have trust in the graduate's being able to carry out independently on day one on the job. These Key Teaching Tasks are achieved at level 7 as expected for graduates of an Initial Teacher Education bachelor's degree programme. Content and assessments for the Key Teaching Tasks are integrated into individual course descriptors and are learned and demonstrated within the context of practice and as part of the culminating integrative assessment.