Education Minister Erica Stanford is my politician of the day for announcing that the Government isn't going to be building any more of those terrible open-plan classrooms.
But she’ll be my politician of the year if she goes further than that and finds money to put some walls and doors in the modern learning environment monstrosities that already exist.
In fact, I think the Government is morally obliged to help any state school that wants to get rid of their open-plan classrooms. It’s morally obliged because this disastrous experiment was forced on the schools.
And it will cost a truckload of money but it’s the only option, in my mind.
Unless, of course, there are schools that are perfectly happy teaching kids in barns. They can fill their boots.
But I bet there are a truckload of schools looking at this announcement and thinking “what about us?”
The way Erica Stanford puts it is that she’s had overwhelming feedback that open-plan classrooms aren’t meeting the needs of students.
She says: “While open-plan designs were originally intended to foster collaboration, they have often created challenges for schools, particularly around noise and managing student behaviour.”
Which is a polite way of saying that it was a hair-brained idea that shouldn’t have seen the light of day. And to Erica Stanford and the Government’s credit, they’re not building any more.
Which Rangiora High School principal Bruce Kearney says is great, but he wants to know about all the schools that have already been lumbered with open-plan classrooms.
Some of which have had a gutsful and have spent a lot of their own money turning the barns into old-school classrooms.
Rangiora High School is one of them. They spent $1.5 million. Shirley Boys’ High School in Christchurch spent $800,00. And Avonside Girls' spent $60,000 on screens and acoustic panels because a full fit-out was going to be too expensive for the school to pay for on its own.
Avonside principal Catherine Law says she is “thrilled” to see the move away from open-plan because it’s done nothing for students having a sense of belonging, and it had a really detrimental effect on teaching and learning.
She says year 9 and year 10 kids —the old third formers and fourth formers— are the ones who seem to struggle the most, because they’re the ones getting used to high school.
She says those years especially are the worst times for kids to be expected to try and work in open-plan areas. She says there’s a lot of anxiety with the kids not knowing where they sit and where they belong.
And she thinks that any school that wants to get rid of the open-plan set-up should get funding to do it.
If the experience at Rangiora High is anything to go by, why wouldn't the Government spend some money fixing up this shambles?
Since Rangiora put in the walls and doors, attendance is up by 12%. Which principal Bruce Kearney puts down to “happier teachers, happier kids, and a happier school”.
And he is in no doubt that the Government needs to stump up with the money so all schools that want to benefit from this brilliant move by Erica Stanford, can.
I’m going further than that though.
I think the government is morally obliged to do it. Because even though it wasn't this particular government that forced modern learning environments on schools, it was still the government-of-the-day.
The current administration is now admitting that the experiment has failed. So there is no way it can say that but still expect kids already being taught in these battery farms to put up with it.
And there’s no way it can admit it was a cock-up and expect teachers to keep teaching in these places.
Episode Transcript
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News Talks EDB, talking the issues you care about.
Canterbury Mornings with John McDonald News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Good Morning, Canneby. We are with you till the midday.
Just a minor point and I'm not claiming to be
any fashion expert here, but did you see Salwyn mayor
Sam Broughton on the TV news last night. He's also
the head of the Local Government New Zealand organization which
has been having its conference in christ Church and there
he was yesterday welcoming the Resource Management Act Minister Chris Bishop,
and he was dressed all casual on it. It was like,
(00:43):
you know, it was dressed down Wednesday. I think it
was even wearing the old Chuck Taylor sneakers. But there
he was t shirt, the cash trousers, the sneakers, Sam
Broughton putting the cover back into local government. Seven and
a half past nine. Tell you what Educational Minister Erica Stamford,
she is my politician of the day, Eric Stanford, Politician
(01:05):
of the day for announcing that the government isn't going
to be building any more of those terrible open plan classrooms.
But she will be my Politician of the Year if
she goes further than that and finds the money to
put some walls and doors in the modern learning environment
(01:26):
monstrosities that already exist. In fact, I'll go as far
as to say that I think the government is morally
obliged to help any state school that wants to get
rid of their open plan classrooms. It's morally obliged because
this disastrous experiment was forced on the schools, especially here
in Canterbury after the earthquakes, which, considering it was a
(01:49):
national government that led the open plan charge, makes the
government's move all the more admirable, doesn't it. But being admirable,
it is not enough, which is why I think the
government needs to own the problem outright and not just
promise not to build any more open plan classrooms, to
commit to getting rid of all of them. And it'll
(02:11):
cost truckload of money, but it's the only option in
my mind, unless, of course, there are schools that are
perfectly happy teaching kids in barns they can fill their boots.
But I bet there are truckloads of schools looking at
this announcement and thinking, yeah, but what about us, So
The way that Erica Stanford puts it is that she's
(02:31):
had quote overwhelming feedback that open plan classrooms aren't meeting
the needs of students. She says, quote While open plan
designs were originally intended to foster collaboration, they've often created
challenges for schools, particularly around noise and managing student behavior.
End of quite, that's a polite way of saying it
(02:53):
was a hair brained idea that shouldn't have seen the
load of day. And to Erica Stanford, in the government's credit,
they're not going to be building anymore, which wrung your
high school principal brew Can, he says, says it's great,
but he wants to num about all the schools that
have already been lumbered with open playing classrooms. They're all
(03:14):
over the country. But we were the guinea pigs here
in Canterbury after the quakes, weren't we when one point
six billion dollars was spent on the school's earthquake rebuild program.
Some of those schools have had a guts full though already,
and have spent a lot of their own money turning
the barns into old school classrooms, runging over to high schools.
One of them they spent one and a half million bucks.
(03:37):
Shirley Boys spent eight hundred thousand. Avenside Girls they spent
sixty k, but that was just to get some screens
and acoustic panels because doing the full reversal or a
full fit out was going to be too expensive for
them to pay on their own. And Avenside Principal Catherine
Law she says she is thrilled to see them move
(03:57):
away from open plan because she says it's done nothing
for students, it's done nothing for giving them a sense
of belonging, and it's had a really detrimental effect on
teach and learning. She says, she reckons year nine and
year ten kids are the ones that really suffer. They're
the old third formers and fourth formers. She says they're
the ones who seem to struggle the most because they're
the ones who are still getting used to high school.
(04:19):
And she says those years especially are the worst time
for kids to be expected to try and work in
open plan areas, and she says there's a lot of
anxiety with the kids not knowing where they're supposed to
sit and where they belong. And she's like me, This
is Captain Law from Avonside. She's like me, and she
thinks that any school that wants to get rid of
the open plans set up should get the funding to
(04:41):
do it. I'll quite her, she says today. Quite we
didn't have a choice in the rebuild. She says, I
would love it if they could help with some support
to get walls back for our students. Not much to
ask not too much to ask for, is it surely not?
And if the experience that run you Order hires anything
to go by it, why wouldn't the government spend money
fixing up the shambles. Here's the proof. Since Rung Your
(05:04):
Order put in the walls and doors, attendance is up
by twelve percent, which Principal Bruce Kenny puts down to
this happier teachers, happier kids and a happier school. And
here's another one who is in no doubt that the
government and the Ministry of Education need to stump up
with the money. So all schools that want to benefit
(05:26):
from this brilliant move by the government can. I think
the government is morally obliged to do it. That's my
position because even though it wasn't this particular government that
forced modern learning environments on schools. It was still the
government of the day, and the current administration is now
admitting that the experiment has failed, So there is no
(05:47):
way it can say it's failed, but still expect kids
already being taught in these battery farms to put up
with it, And there's no way the government can admit
it was a cock up and still expect teachers to
keep teaching in these places.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
For more from Canterbory Mornings with John McDonald, listen live
to news talks It'd be christ Church from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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