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Axing the lunches in schools programme would signal to the less fortunate that the Government does not care, Northland principals and parents have said.
The future of Ka Ora, Ka Ako is in limbo following news ministerial responsibility for the programme was placed in Associate Education Minister DavidSeymour’s hands.
Seymour has been a critic of the scheme, and with the future unknown as it is only funded until the end of this year, concerns are mounting.
Last month, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon affirmed the Government was committed to the programme. However, educators say placing Seymour in charge of cutting costs signals the opposite.
Kirsty Halliday's son requires a gluten-free diet and is catered for under the lunches in schools programme. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Educators say cutting the programme does not make sense at a time when the Government wants to improve students’ numeracy, literacy and attendance, and parents say it would impact the most vulnerable.
As of 2023, 115 of Northland’s 152 schools were participating in the programme, with over 17,800 students receiving a hot lunch each day.
Ruakākā mother Kirsty Halliday’s sons were among that number.
Her youngest son Fynn, 7, follows a gluten-free diet and receives hot meals through the programme at Ruakākā School.
Halliday said the scheme alleviated concerns about finding food to fulfil her son’s dietary needs and ensured he wasn’t missing out.
More recently, the price of gluten-free food has risen significantly and the programme has lifted the financial burden, she said.
Since her older son left Ruakākā Primary to attend an intermediate school where lunches aren’t provided, she has noticed an increase in their grocery bill.
Students receive a healthy lunch under the Ka Ora, Ka Ako healthy school lunches programme - but the future of it is unknown. Photo / Ministry of Education
She said if the programme were to go she would manage, but she had concerns for the wider community.
“Parts of Ruakākā are lower-decile areas, and so many kids turn up at school with no shoes and clothes that aren’t suitable for the season. You can only assume they don’t have full bellies as well.”
She said the meal they receive through the programme may be the only one they get all day.
“That programme came about for a reason. That reason hasn’t just disappeared overnight.”
Another Northland mother, Ashley Bradley, described the programme as a “blessing”.
“There have been times where we haven’t had enough kai for school lunches, and it’s been great that there is this system so I know my son will be fed a fulfilling kai, so I am thankful,” she said.
Her son has explored healthier eating habits since being aided by the programme, and what is left behind either comes home or goes to vulnerable community members.
He said moves to cut costs or axe the programme would be the “price the Government pays” for over 30 years of “bad policy” that has increased poverty levels.
“It’s extremely frustrating to me that there’s this willful negligence. Successive governments have created this.”
He said the move is a “distraction” from educators’ “core business” and “doesn’t make sense” when the Government wants to lift numeracy, literacy and attendance levels.
The belief there was little evidence attendance has lifted under the lunches in schools scheme was due to the Government was asking the wrong people, he said.
His school attendance rate sits at around 90 to 92 per cent, and he partly credits free school lunches.
“For many years we’ve had to solve that problem, and I would say having a school where everyone in the community knows no one is going hungry helps to break down those barriers.”
He said if the scheme was cut, his school would have no choice but to fund it via other resources such as books or sporting equipment.
What is Ka Ora, Ka Ako?
According to Ministry of Education figures, the Ka Ora, Ka Ako healthy school lunches programme provides around a million lunches across the country each week.
The scheme was introduced by Labour in 2019, which allocated $323.4 million in the 2023 Budget to continue it through this year, but it has not been funded beyond that.
Schools choose from a panel of approved lunch suppliers that meet minimum standards of food hygiene, waste management and food preparation, or schools can choose to make their lunches by hiring a cook.
A typical weekly menu varies between wraps, vegetable sticks and dips, soups and more.
How much does it cost?
For Term 1, 2024 lunches are provided at a maximum “per child, per day” cost of:
External model – supplier-led:
$5.78 for learners in Years 0-3
$6.77 for learners in Years 4-8
$8.62 for learners in Years 9-plus
Internal model – school-led:
$5.56 for learners in Years 0-3
$6.52 for learners in Years 4-8
$8.29 for learners in Years 9-plus
The prices differ due to operational agreements in place for schools and suppliers. Pricing reflects larger portion sizes for different learners and increased cost pressures.
Funding covers food, preparation and delivery, as well as paying staff who work on lunches.
