Children’s rights must be on the menu as school lunches are reviewed
I’m pleased to see both the public and Government support for free school lunches. Not only because the evidence shows that nutritious school lunches effectively boost children’s physical and mental health, and help to address food insecurity, but because it means children’s rights remain on the menu in Aotearoa New Zealand.
There’s quite a bit to unpack from this week’s announcement. It’s good that every child currently getting a school lunch will continue to get lunches for the next two years.
But some parts of the decision are leaving a bitter taste.
For students in year seven and above, lunches from next year will be delivered through an “alternative provision model”, with exact nutrition and delivery details yet to be worked out.
Over recent months, proposed cuts or even the wholesale scrapping of the Ka Ako, Ka Ora Healthy School Lunches Programme have been met with widespread opposition, including from children, whānau, schools and health professionals.
The New Zealand public clearly values children getting free, healthy school lunches. The underlying idea is that Government cost savings shouldn’t be at the expense of children’s wellbeing – one I strongly agree with.
The fact that the programme will continue shows an appetite for our country to do better for children, recognising their rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Despite being a small, relatively rich nation, many children are starting from a place that makes it hard to experience their full potential.
Latest official data shows food insecurity is increasing; 21% of children aged 0-14 live in households where food runs out sometimes or often. The rate of food insecurity is much higher for mokopuna Māori, and disabled children – 35% for both groups.
This means hundreds of thousands of children going hungry, growing up lacking the very basics that no whānau should be stressing about.
That so many of our children are going hungry shows that much more is needed, beyond school lunches.
We must see concerted, intentional efforts through evidence-based policies and investments to uphold the full range of rights that all children in Aotearoa New Zealand are entitled to.
Starting with school lunches is helpful, because access to healthy, nutritious food (these factors must remain core to the programme) makes it more likely that children have a greater chance of experiencing more of their other rights, like their rights to education and health.
It’s great that free lunches will be made available to tamariki in many early learning spaces, too. This signals a commitment to children having a strong start in life. I’m hopeful it will have a positive impact for mokopuna Māori, disabled children and Pacific children.
Children have told us that their school lunch is, for some, their only hot meal of the day. It’s disappointing that for thousands of children, this range of kai will be replaced next year with an alternative model that has been adult-decided and imposed. This is out-of-step with a true children’s rights approach, which would ensure such a programme is directly informed by their views, while balancing the financial constraints involved.
With the Government saying a full redesign of the school lunches programme will happen based on “commercial experience, data and evidence”, I’ll keep reminding that the views and voices of children, alongside those of health experts, form essential evidence to seek out and factor in.
Government designing a school lunch programme together with the children and young people who receive it could even further reduce barriers to education and support school attendance.
I’ll be watching closely over coming years, to monitor the impact that changes to healthy school lunches may have, and keep listening to the children eating these lunches, to hear about their experience of this programme
The health and wellbeing of our country’s children is a reflection of us all – what we value and respect, and what we seek to nourish and protect. With school lunches staying on the table for now, we have the opportunity to build on this, so that a holistic commitment to children’s rights stays firmly on the menu.