Child care in New Zealand and Australia has become a crucial part of the child-rearing system, and most preschool children spend a prolonged period in at least one away-from-home environment for a substantial part of the day. Because so many preschool children are exposed to a child care environment before entering school, the transition from…

School reform in New Zealand in the 1990s greatly affected funding strategies and school social dynamics. This paper investigates the effects of per-pupil funding and the track system on the sensibilities of students in one New Zealand secondary school. Per-pupil funding and the track system are used in an effort to attract parents (consumers) and…

The way in which children's transition to primary school is managed can set the stage not only for children's school success, but also their response to future transitions. This study examined transition experiences of young children, their families, and their early childhood and primary school teachers, by means of interviews and detailed…

Noting that the number of Samoan children in New Zealand receiving early childhood education in their heritage language has been increasing rapidly, this study examined the way the transition to primary school was organized for Aoga Amata (early childhood centers) children. Participating in the interview study were 39 parents, 14 teachers, 14…