School responds to comments

Jim Luders.

Northland College does not need a reminder it services a community affected by poverty, says principal Jim Luders in response to comments by Winston Peters.

Northland MP and New Zealand First leader Mr Peters said the Government was trying to win back hearts, minds and votes with a "phony public relations campaign in Northland while doing next to nothing for hungry school children and poor families".

Mr Peters scorned comments by Associate Minister of Education Nikki Kaye that Northland College, undergoing a $14 million rebuild and expansion, will become the centre of "an education explosion".

"That's great, but sadly there is another explosion happening at Northland College - the number of hungry students turning up for classes," Mr Peters said.

The day before Ms Kaye officially launched the building project last week, more than 70 hungry students were fed at the college through a volunteer effort, he said.

School principal Mr Luders said the number was less than that, and the "volunteers" were student leaders who ran the Government-sponsored Breakfast in Schools initiative.

"Usually around 25 students turn up, usually the same ones. They seem to come more for the company and whanaungatanga. We do not probe how hungry they might be. It's a time to mix, chat and laugh," he said.

The school also offers cereal and milk at interval to students.

Mr Peters said the Government was ignoring the most pressing problems for towns like Kaikohe: "Lack of jobs and families living in poverty."

But Mr Luders said the college was well aware of its community's situation and was trying to maximise what the Government did offer.

Mr Peters said half the 75 pupils at Tautora Primary School, near Kaikohe, were fed at school every day.