An event in the Octagon marked the anniversary of Te Whariki, the early childhood curriculum which was considered ahead of its time.
New Zealand Educational Institute Otago area field officer Paula Reynolds, of Dunedin, said she was concerned a Ministry of Education review of the curriculum could prove detrimental.
Mrs Reynolds was concerned it could mean the introduction of national standards, a testing system that proved controversial in the primary education sector.
The curriculum had modernised the sector and its "holistic" approach had been copied by other countries, Mrs Reynolds said.
The NZEI wanted more involvement in the review.
The day included fun activities for children, a cake-cutting, and the launch of an early child care resource developed by the Otago branch of NZEI.
Information on the ministry’s website says the curriculum review will involve looking at "current learning outcomes to determine whether these need to be adapted or condensed to better support curriculum understanding and implementation".
