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The Minister of Education, Erica Stanford, announced that the government will stop building open-plan classrooms. This decision comes after receiving “overwhelming feedback” from schools indicating that these designs are not meeting student needs.
while originally intended to foster collaboration, open-plan classrooms have often created challenges, notably concerning noise and managing student behavior. The Minister stated that in many cases, these designs actually reduce flexibility rather than enhance it.
the government will now prioritize standard classroom designs that focus on flexibility, such as those incorporating glass sliding doors that allow spaces to be opened for collaboration or closed for focused learning. This approach aims to provide fit-for-purpose environments that support various teaching and learning styles.
The Minister also highlighted that the government has lowered the average cost of a classroom by 28%, making more classrooms affordable. For example, the average cost in 2025 is $620,000, down from $1.2 million at the end of 2023.
as an example of the issues with open-plan classrooms, Aotea Collage in Wellington was mentioned, where existing open-plan spaces were found to be non-functional due to disruption and noise, preventing them from being shared or used for multiple purposes.
Two schools in Wellington, Newlands Intermediate and Aotea College, will receive new classrooms as part of a $25 million investment to address population growth. Planning is underway, with construction expected to begin within the next 12 months.
