International students continue their ECE journey at Kiwi centres

Students who moved from another country to study with NZTC in New Zealand are continuing on their early childhood education journey at Kiwi centres after graduation.

One such student is Postgraduate Diploma in Education (ECE) graduate Shweta, who is currently working as a relief teacher at The Learning Castle in Papatoetoe in Auckland.

After completing a Bachelor of Education in India, she worked with children aged 9 to 14 years old for a decade before deciding to pursue her passion of early childhood education.

“Being actively involved with my young son’s education and development was the final motivation for me to work with children from his age group and understand their psychology,” said Shweta.

“Studying the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (ECE) through NZTC helped me to learn about topics such as the wellbeing of young children, how to build relationships with their parents and whānau, and how to plan educational programs.”

Shweta initially found academic writing difficult, as it had been over a decade since her previous tertiary study, but managed to overcome this obstacle with the support available to her at the college.

“I really struggled through the first semester in terms of academic writing but took off in my second semester, which was a triumph for me,” said Shweta.  

She encourages other international students passionate about pursuing a career in early childhood education in New Zealand to go for it.

“Early childhood education is a prospering industry in New Zealand and ECE teachers are always in demand. If a person is really passionate about ECE, then it is the best choice.”