KEY POINTS:
Principals have reacted angrily to the Government ban on daily sales of unhealthy food at school canteens, some ridiculing it as an intrusion of state "food police".
Under Government guidelines issued yesterday, state and integrated schools must ensure that all foods and drinks sold on the premises are
healthy varieties.
But the Ministry of Education advice on the guidelines contains a contradiction by indicating unhealthy foods may still be offered, but only occasionally - "about once a term, for example, for particular events".
This suggests Parent Teacher Association sausage sizzles to raise money will be acceptable - four times a year - but if children can buy the likes of pies, sausage rolls and high-fat muffins daily, a school might fall foul of the Education Review Office.
The advice states that school barbecues or hangi should continue - and should include a healthy salad.
The new rules, contained in the National Administration Guidelines, come into effect next June. They will be based on a food and drink classification system to be produced by the Ministry of Health within weeks.
This will rank foods and drinks, primarily on their fat, salt and energy content, as suitable for consumption daily, sometimes or occasionally.
Dale Burden, headmaster of Mt Albert Grammar in Auckland, said his school's canteen largely complied with the new requirements.
But when asked if pies would be removed from the menu, he retorted: "We might just wait for the food police to come and tell us off. It's a nonsense - selling pies once a term. Why ... this level of interference in schools when there are so many more important things to worry about?"
Pupils were not generally permitted off school grounds at lunchtime, but if pies were banned from daily sale, those who still wanted them would buy them before or after school.
"It's more bureaucracy, more telling schools what to do. I don't like it at all. We're in the business of educating kids to make decisions. The Government shouldn't be legislating away decision-making from people."
At Ponsonby Intermediate, pies and sausage rolls were removed from the menu several years ago, but principal Wim Boxen objected to schools' having to take even greater responsibility for children's eating habits.
"What are they doing, for example, for educating parents. We have got the kids for a small part of the time."
Many of Mr Burden's and Mr Boxen's concerns were echoed by the Principals' Federation, but the Green Party and the Obesity Action Coalition supported the new policy, first flagged by ministers last September.
Education Minister Steve Maharey, defending the Government from "nanny state" accusations, said yesterday that it was up to schools how they implemented the new guidelines, which did not scrap sausage sizzles or chocolate fundraisers.
The Government is trying to reverse the worsening obesity epidemic. Nearly a third of children are obese or overweight and only around half eat the recommended five daily servings of fruit and vegetables.
A Greens survey of 50 schools found 84 per cent sold pies, hotdogs, hotbites or sausage rolls and 24 per cent did not sell rolls or sandwiches.
Greens health spokeswoman Sue Kedgley said some schools were doing well at providing only healthy foods but many were failing.
SCHOOL LUNCHES
The Green Party survey of 50 primary and secondary school lunches during the past three years:
2005
* 98pc of schools sell pies, hot dogs, "hotbites" or sausage rolls.
* 72pc sell chips (in five of 50 schools those were corn chips, and in one wedges).
* 80pc of schools sell cookies / cakes / chocolate / donuts.
2006
* In 68pc of schools the menu does not include fruit. 85pc of schools sell pies, hot dogs, hotbites or sausage rolls.
* 63pc sell chips (including corn chips).
* 90pc of schools sell cookies / cakes / chocolate / donuts.
2007
* In 70pc of schools the menu does not include fruit. 84pc of schools sell pies, hot dogs, hotbites or sausage rolls.
* 40pc sell chips (including corn chips).
* 82pc of schools sell cookies / cakes / chocolate / donuts.
* In 52pc of schools the menu does not include fruit.