“When I began visiting schools, teachers consistently told me how difficult it was to teach in open-plan classrooms, and parents also raised strong concerns.
“At the end of 2025, the Ministry of Education launched the Modifying Open Plan Classrooms Initiative and invited schools to register their interest in reinstating classroom walls. A total of 193 schools responded.
“As of June 2026, the Ministry has completed assessments for 46 schools as the first step, with modifications finished at six.
“Schools that have had walls reinstated are reporting overwhelmingly positive feedback.
“Teachers say there is less noise and fewer distractions, stronger student concentration and engagement, and more flexibility in how they teach.
“Quieter classrooms also better support neurodiverse learners and students who need calmer learning environments.
“Children cannot be expected to learn well when surrounded by noise and distractions.”
By the end of the year, at least 38 schools will have received modifications.
The Ministry of Education has also stopped funding new open-plan classroom developments.
The six schools with completed modifications are:
“As of June 2026, the Ministry has completed assessments for 46 schools as the first step, with modifications finished at six.
“Schools that have had walls reinstated are reporting overwhelmingly positive feedback.
“Teachers say there is less noise and fewer distractions, stronger student concentration and engagement, and more flexibility in how they teach.
“Quieter classrooms also better support neurodiverse learners and students who need calmer learning environments.
“Children cannot be expected to learn well when surrounded by noise and distractions.”
By the end of the year, at least 38 schools will have received modifications.
The Ministry of Education has also stopped funding new open-plan classroom developments.
The six schools with completed modifications are:
- Beckenham Te Kura o Puroto
- Foxton Beach School
- Horotiu School
- Karamea Area School
- Levin East School
- Nelson College for Girls
Erica Stanford is the Minister of Education and Minister of Immigration. She has been the National MP for East Coast Bays since the 2017 election. This article was first published HERE
4 comments:
Excellent. Boy, the Ministry of Education the past generation has a lot to answer for. So much dubious Education research out there.... But then of course a three-year thesis-only PhD in Education the bottom of the PhD hierarchy. True worldwide.
One ideology describes this utter nonsense - Progressivism.
I struggle to think of a single thing it has promoted that improves education . Instead there is a long list of destructive innovations - starting with getting rid of Proficiency exam in 1937 that caused Primary Schools to be no longer accountable for academic achievement. We should have something like NAPLAN as Australia in upper primary. Sure, Secondary school should be available to all , but why destroy academic standards to achieve that .
But that was just the start of the stupidity. Whole Language Reading Method - Whole Nonsense - guessing words from context or pictures has unbelievably dominated for almost 50 years.
We need a new Faculty at University called ' Real Education' to replace the socio - socialist garbage we have now .
And don't forget that Hipkins and his mother are responsible for most of the B.S. in the education sector that the current adminstration has had to sort out.
Every ministry that Hipkins was involved in, has had major issues. And he still thinks he can be PM again!
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