New Zealand Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 3)
Course details
| NZQF Level | 3 |
|---|
About the course
If you want to work with infants, toddlers or young children our New Zealand Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 3) may be right for you.
Availability
Our qualifications are delivered on either a Trimesterised or Open basis.
- Trimesterised qualifications have courses available to enrol in and study over set periods, three times a year - Trimester 1, 2 or 3.
- Open qualifications have courses available to enrol in and study every month throughout the year. Courses start on the first Monday of the month you select for enrolment.
Cost
- Course costs can be found on all course pages. The fees may increase annually.
- Qualification cost – to give you an idea of how much a qualification may cost in total over the duration of your studies, an approximate cost is provided for many of our qualifications. This is based on the required number of courses to complete the qualification and the average cost of those courses. It does not include annual administration fees, text books and course materials or external exam fees, and is subject to annual course fee increases.
Credits
Courses are assigned credits depending on how much time and effort is needed to complete their learning outcomes. In general, each credit represents approximately 10 hours of study time.
Delivery method
- Online – The course materials for online courses are delivered in an online format and all assignments are submitted online.
- Mixed – These courses are delivered using a mix of online and paper based course materials. This may include receiving paper course materials, submitting assignments online, or being required to participate in online forums and learning activities.
- Print Only - The course will be delivered using paper based courses materials, and assignments may need to be submitted in hard copy rather than online. This will depend on the course.
Whether courses are delivered online, on paper or a mixture of both, there may also be components such as workshops, noho marae, work experience and practicum to participate in. To find out what your course involves check the course information page.
EFTS
EFTS stands for equivalent full-time student. An EFTS is the study time required for each course and is used by the Tertiary Education Commission to decide if a course is part-time or full-time.
One year of full-time study is generally between 0.8 and 1.2 EFTS.
Level
You can tell how hard a course or qualification is by the level it is set at:
- Levels 1-4 are about the same as secondary school and basic trades training.
- Levels 5-7 are the same as university study.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisites are courses that must be completed before another course can be studied.
- Co-requisites are courses that can be studied at the same time as another course.
If a course has a specific prerequisite or co-requisite course, it will be listed on the course page under the title 'Prerequisites'. If no courses are listed, check the entry and other requirements under the qualification you are studying for. Some courses require you to have studied at a particular level prior to enrolling.
Student loans
Not all qualifications or students are eligible for student loans. You will need to meet criteria such as studying a minimum number of credits over a specific study period. It is up to you to apply for a student loan via StudyLink - Open Polytechnic does not do this for you.
Information about student loans and eligibility
Study type
Our qualifications are delivered on either a Trimesterised or Open basis.
- Trimesterised qualifications have courses available to enrol in and study over set periods, three times a year - Trimester 1, 2 or 3. Some courses may not be available every Trimester, and some may run longer than the standard 16-18 week period.
- Open qualifications have courses available to enrol in and study every month throughout the year. Courses start on the first Monday of the month you select for enrolment.
Teaching weeks
Teaching weeks is the number of weeks that we teach a course. This differs from the enrolment period, which is based on the course start and end dates.
For example, a 20-week enrolment period will have 16 teaching weeks, followed by four weeks to accommodate marking, any extensions and reassessments, or exams.
Workload
The workload estimate given on a course page is calculated like this:
Number of credits x 10, divided by the number of teaching weeks for the course. The hours will be rounded up to nearest whole number.
Please note, this is a guide only. You may need more or less time for study, and you may also need to do more hours during assessment due dates or exams times.
- Level3
- Credits60
- Study type Open
- Cost$0 NZ Domestic
Currently being offered fee free.
- Student loan
This programme can only be studied part-time. It is not eligible for course-related costs, living costs or student allowances from StudyLink.
Qualification Update
New learners
NZ2849 New Zealand Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 3) (Version 1) is closed to new learners.
For information on our available early childhood education programmes go to: https://www.openpolytechnic.ac.nz/qualifications-and-courses/early-childhood-education/
Update for re-enrolling learners
Learners who were already enrolled in NZ2849 New Zealand Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 3) (Version 1) prior to 28 February 2023 can continue to re-enrol and complete their qualification.
Please note, to be awarded this certificate you will need to be enrolled in your last course(s) by 21 March 2023, and complete all course requirements by 1 December 2023.
If you have any questions, or need assistance with a study plan, please contact us.
Programme information
This qualification will ready you to work in the early childhood education profession:
- as a playgroup coordinator
- in an ECE centre-based setting under the supervision of fully qualified and registered kaiako
For Māori speakers, this qualification may provide entry into ngā kohanga reo.
This qualification will also be useful for people seeking employment in community service organisations that work to enhance the lives of young children and their whānau, families and communities.
Fee free offer
This programme is currently being offered fees free. Please read the terms and conditions to see if you are eligible .
What you will learn
When you achieve this qualification you will be able to:
- contribute to an environment that provides for the health, safety and wellbeing of infants, toddlers and young children
- work in compliance with early childhood regulations and legislative requirements
- use your knowledge of children’s learning of development, and the bicultural nature of the New Zealand early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki, to develop your own culturally responsive practice for working with young children
- develop and maintain relationships with children, families, whānau and colleagues through the use of a range of communication strategies and social and cultural connectedness within an early childhood education and care setting
- demonstrate knowledge professional behaviours and strategies to manage personal health and wellbeing in an early childhood setting
- demonstrate knowledge of ethical responsibility in relation to own values and beliefs to guide practice in an early childhood setting
- know about community and government services that help in operation of an early childhood education and care setting
- use early childhood philosophies to inform your understanding of the diversity of early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand
- use basic te reo Māori and tikanga Māori within an early childhood setting
- develop your awareness of Māori as tangata whenua.
Academic pathways
After you complete this qualification you will meet the entry requirements (subject to meeting to the selection criteria) to enter our Level 4 Certificate in Early Childhood Education & Care.
About the provider
Open Polytechnic is New Zealand's leader in online and distance learning.
What’s our distance learning difference? It’s the almost 30,000 students who join us each year to study and achieve their career and personal goals.
It’s Open Polytechnic being New Zealand’s specialist distance learning provider for over 70 years.
All our students study by distance.
Distance learning is what we do.
Our programmes are designed exclusively for distance learning. Our online courses include a range of rich content to engage you – readings, videos, interactive elements, case studies, quizzes and activities, and forums.
Our academic staff are experts at teaching by distance learning. It’s what they do.
They will be with you every step of the way to encourage you, and ensure you understand the course content. They will help you gain the skills and knowledge you need, so that you can succeed.
If you need other support or help, we’ve got a range of people here for you.
With Open Polytechnic, you’re not alone.