Open-plan classrooms are a distraction that National has to put an end to

Open Plan Classrooms were a National Party education plan rolled out under John Key and Education Minister Hekia Parata.

Current international research suggests the best way to get success from an open plan classroom is to ensure educators are given training in how to utilise the space, or to create a flexible space that lets educators adapt.

The previous Labour government shifted its focus to ensuring learning environments prioritised the physical health of a room over a specific teaching style, letting schools make the best use of the spaces the Ministry had created.

The Open Plan changes were pushed by the New Zealand Initiative - a right-wing astroturf think tank that has since changed its position, in step with the Government's own reversal.