Government announces an end to open plan classrooms

Checkpoint

The Government has announced an end to open plan classrooms. The initial concept began in 2011 under National's then Education Minister Hekia Parata. For a period, every new classroom had to be built open plan, so up to 100 students could learn in one space with 3 teachers collaboratively. Many schools still have them, but Education Minister Erica Stanford says the barn-like designs "aren't meeting the needs of students". Instead, there will be a range of designs schools can choose from that are flexible, but not open plan. Principal of Albany Senior High School and the President of the Auckland Secondary Schools Principals Association Claire Amos spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.