‘Do we want hungry kids?’
Free lunch in schools expected to grow as Govt commits to feeding 21,000 children
The Government has started a trial free lunch in schools programme, which it expects to extend to 21,000 children once the policy is fully rolled out in two years.
Starting next year, about 5000 Year 1 to 8 children in 30 schools will get a free lunch five days a week as part of the trial.
The Government is expecting those 30 schools to become 120 once the full policy is under way in 2021.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Children’s Minister Tracey Martin announced the policy at Kaitao Intermediate School in Rotorua, as part of the Government’s Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy.
Ardern said the idea behind the
free lunches was “pure and simple — Do we want our kids to go hungry?”
The obvious answer, she said, was no.
“That’s why the Government is rolling this school lunch programme out to the kids in New Zealand who need our support the most.”
She added that the lunch in schools programme would contribute to the Government’s pledge to reduce child poverty.
“You simply can’t learn distracted by an empty stomach.”
The Government consulted children across the country before it launched the Wellbeing Strategy, Ardern said.
“Children themselves told us during the consultation on the strategy that going to school hungry was a barrier to their learning.
Children themselves told us . . . that going to school hungry was a barrier to their learning.
“That was heartbreaking to hear and this prototype starts to ensure children are fed and have the best chance to succeed.”
But National is not convinced. Its education spokeswoman, Nikki Kaye, said the programme was well-meaning, but badly designed.
Kaye said the Government’s approach failed to consider that most schools do not have the infrastructure such as kitchens for large scale food preparation and storage.
“There is minimal funding in this scheme for equipment. The scheme is designed with maximum work for the school unlike the majority of other successful schemes operating now.
“If this is the beginning of a universal free lunch programme for all schools, this would cost hundreds of millions and take away the autonomy of parents to provide lunch for their children.”
Children’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft, who was at the launch, applauded the strategy.
“This is a co-ordinated, integrated plan for the first time. Properly implemented it could be a gamechanger. Ten per cent [of children] are in chronic disadvantage. This is not the New Zealand we should be proud of, this is not the New Zealand that we want . . .”
Jacinda Ardern