Principles of Use 

The Ministry worked with the ECE Sector Advisory Group to develop seven principles of use for ELI.  These describe shared responsibilities, access to data, timeliness, ability to correct errors, and obligations of the Privacy Act 2020.  

What information you need to submit and why 

What we use your information for 

We use early learning information for funding allocation purposes, for monitoring purposes, to allow the assignment of National Student Numbers to children and to allow the Minister or Secretary of Education to exercise any of their other powers or responsibilities under the Education and Training Act 2020, and as permitted by Privacy Principles 10 and 11. 

To ensure the information is complete and accurate, licensed early learning services, unless specifically exempt, need to return the following information through the Early Learning Information (ELI) System.

Children’s National Student Numbers (NSNs) 

Each child enrolled in early learning requires a National Student Number (NSN).  The NSN stays with the child throughout their primary, secondary and tertiary education.   

To support the allocation of unique NSNs, you must sight a copy of each child’s official identification document and enter the child’s details into ELI Web, as written on the sighted document.  

We recommend keeping a record of which documents you have sighted. We may require a copy of an official identity document to help with identity verification for data quality purposes. 

You can keep a copy of the official identification document if this is your usual process. You must keep copies in a secure location and only give access to staff who need to view it. 

Up-to-date child enrolment and attendance information 

At least once a month you should update enrolment and attendance information and confirm the information entered into ELI Web is complete and accurate.  You need to confirm the previous month’s information by the end of the following month e.g. confirm February’s information by the end of March. You can do this by using the confirmation function within ELI Web. 

 The Annual ECE Return or ECE Census 

The Annual ECE Return, also known as ECE Census, refers to an electronic collection of information from you about your activities during the ECE Census week. We will communicate the dates of the ECE Census week in our Early Learning Bulletin | He Pānui Kōhungahunga.  

 14-2 ECE census - Ministry of Education 

The Electronic RS7 Return 

The electronic RS7 Return is the main funding claim for early learning services.  If you are connected to the ELI system, it replaces the paper-based RS7 Return. 

Note that: 

• You must connect to the ELI system and send the required information through ELI Web or a student management system that is integrated with the ELI system.  
• If you are a new service and have chosen to use ELI Web, you should begin sending your early learning information to us within 8 weeks of your licence being issued.  
• You need to act on our requests to make changes to your early learning information to ensure it is complete and accurate.   

We may consider withholding funding: 

• if you do not begin sending your early learning information within 8 weeks of your licence being issued. 
• if you do not make changes to your early learning information within 8 weeks of the initial request. 

Find these requirements in the ECE Funding Handbook: 

Chapter 2: How the Ministry funds services - Ministry of Education 

Chapter 6: Recording enrolment, attendance and absence - Ministry of Education  

Chapter 14: Collection of information - Ministry of Education