More children will receive free lunches under changes to the healthy school lunches programme, the Government has announced.
It follows months of uproar from schools, academics and Opposition politicians after Associate Education Minister David Seymour hinted at cuts to the free lunch programme.
Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches Programme, introduced by the previous Labour Government, supplies approximately 235,000 students in more than 1000 schools with free lunches; this equates to approximately 40 percent of all schools and approximately 27 percent of all students.
Seymour has been working on a proposition on the fate of the programme, however, his comments surrounding the scheme have prompted concern from schools. He has previously said it was a "huge waste of money" and "it should be gone".
In a shocking twist, Seymour has now announced the programme will continue - and in fact, be extended to some under five-year-olds.
"The Healthy School Lunches Programme will continue, alongside a new targeted programme for up to 10,000 two-to-five-year-olds in early learning services," Seymour said on Wednesday.
"I am pleased to announce there will be a new targeted programme to provide food to 10,000 two-to-five-year-olds who attend low-equity, not-for-profit, community-based early learning services, funded using the cost savings found in the lunch programme.
"The first 1000 days are key to a child's development. I am proud this Government can innovate to help even more children who need it."
Labour has called the move a backtrack, claiming Seymour couldn't get the cuts he wanted to the programme.
"I welcome Government funding food in ECEs and am relieved that for all of David Seymour's talk he hasn't got his cuts over the line in primary schools," Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said.
"I am worried about the changes at intermediate and secondary schools and will continue to campaign for keeping and improving the programme."
In response, Seymour said the previous Government hadn't set aside the necessary funding to continue the programme.
"They've cut it 100 percent, and I've saved it after they couldn't get their books in order," Seymour said.
Despite the extension of the programme, the Government will cut approximately $107 million a year from how it was previously funded - $4 million of which will go to the Early Childhood Food Programme.
Seymour said the $107 million comes from savings obtained by using a new, alternative model.
What the new model will look like
The current programme is delivered by a mix of models depending on the different schools' needs.
For the remainder of 2024, the school lunches programme will stay as is with all current contracts and commitments in place before moving to a new model for students over year 7 next year.
Currently, the Government contracts 156 suppliers to provide lunches to schools aka the external model, while other schools purchase the goods directly from suppliers in the internal model.
At the beginning of next year, the Government will move students above primary school level to a new alternative model. This model will use "commercial acumen and Government's considerable buyer power" to purchase the food nationally and distribute these to schools with students year 7 and over. The model for students in years 0-6 will stay the same.
Composite schools with students across different year levels will need to implement a dual model of learners according to their age. For example, schools with students from years 0 to 13 will keep the status quo for years 6 and under and use the alternative model for years 7 plus.
An expert advisory group will assist the Ministry of Education in determining the details of the new model. The expert group and the Ministry will engage with representatives from affected schools.
While the programme will be universal in schools that receive it, parents and students will be able to opt-out of receiving the lunches if they wish.
The new model will also allow schools to align their ordering with attendance.
"In many schools, taxpayers are catering and paying for lunches for students who do not appear to be there to eat them. It is estimated that this cost approximately $15 million in the first three terms of 2023," the Government said.
The type of food students will receive is also likely to change.
"It will be made up of the sorts of food items thousands of mums and dads put into lunch boxes every day for their kids – forget quinoa, couscous, and hummus, it will be more like sandwiches and fruit," Seymour said.
The range of food on offer will depend on the suppliers selected and the nutritional value of the food will be a consideration of this process.
Schools will be able to select foods based on preference, as well as facilities and capacity.
For students with standard dietary requirements, the Ministry of Education will work through an open tender process to source a supplier for the alternative provision model.
Options for providing for students with complex special diets will also be considered as part of the procurement process.
This Government's 2024 Budget will provide $478 million of funding for the school lunches programme.
The funding will be put towards the interim model, which would be put in place for 2025 and 2026 while a full redesign of the programme is implemented based on commercial experience, data and evidence.
