Government reveals the 10 schools getting new classrooms and the Auckland college in line for a new gym
The New Zealand government is investing $32.8 million to build 34 new classrooms and a gym across 10 schools to address infrastructure pressure. Education Minister Erica Stanford also noted a shift in policy to move away from open-plan classrooms toward traditional walled spaces due to demand from schools.
Why it matters
This reflects a broader educational debate regarding the efficacy of modern open-plan learning environments versus traditional classroom structures.
Massey High School with Education Minister Erica Stanford (inset). Photo / Mark Mitchell
The Government is reinvesting $32.8 million to build 34 new classrooms and one gym at 10 schools in Auckland, Waikato, Taranaki and Canterbury.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said the funding for the new facilities came from savings in her school property portfolio. Most of the classrooms were being built at schools in Auckland . Construction is expected to begin within the next 12 months.
Eight new classrooms will be built at Auckland’s Botany Downs Secondary College and six at Massey High School, also in Auckland. Another four satellite classrooms will be built at Massey High School for use by Arohanui Special School.
Chapel Downs School, in Auckland’s Flat Bush , is getting a new gym, which is expected to be completed by the middle of 2028.
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