Is the Government going to cut back free school lunches?

Friday, 12 April 2024

Labour leader Chris Hipkins says free school lunches are under threat.

Seymour said he was looking to cut about half of the Ka Ora Ka Ako funding, adding that funding would be saved by finding “efficiencies” that was “far more economical”.
Hipkins said there was no way the cost of Ka Ora Ka Ako could be halved without taking it off children.
According to the Ministry of Education, the average cost of each lunch is $8.28.

In a school hall in Wainuiomata, a spray painted billboard reads: “Stop the cuts. Protect our school lunches.”

Labour leader Chris Hipkins visited that school on Thursday, promising to fight to “save school lunches”. The day before, he and leaders from the Greens and Te Pāti Māori met with school children who arrived at the Beehive with a petition to support free school lunches.

School lunches have become a major focus for the Opposition, who have used it to attack the Government’s priorities.

Labour’s Ginny Andersen, Chris Hipkins and Cushla Tangaere‑Manuel give school lunches to children at Arakura School.

“They could double the size of the school lunches programme, and still have money left over if they hadn't implemented tax cuts for landlords,” Hipkins told reporters at Arakura School, in the Hutt City suburb of Wainuiomata.

But Prime Minister Christopher Luxon insists the Government will continue the free school lunches programme - albeit with a review into how it’s working.

So are lunches for low decile schools at risk?

Depending on who you ask, the Ka Ora, Ka Ako, free school lunches programme is either in grave danger, in need of belt-tightening, or sailing steady.

Much of the concern around school lunches is because ACT leader David Seymour has been put in charge of the scheme, as associate education minister. He has been a vocal critic of the programme.

Associate Education Minister David Seymour, questioned at Cardinal McKeefry School, says school lunches may change - but will continued.

On Tuesday, Seymour was asked if he could guarantee that every school currently participating in Ka Ora Ka Ako would continue to get free lunches.

“I can’t. I think they probably will,” he replied.

“I also think that around the margin, there's gonna be some kids who aren't actually using them and would opt out if they could, for example.”

Seymour said he was looking to cut about half of the Ka Ora Ka Ako funding.

But Seymour said that funding would be saved by finding “efficiencies” and continue in a way that was “far more economical”.

How expensive is Ka Ora Ka Ako?

A protest sign to save school lunches at Arakura School.

In last year’s Budget, the Government allocated $323 million to the free school lunches programme.

It provided about 230,000 lunches each day.

Those are warm lunches, made locally and sometimes on site at the schools.

According to the Ministry of Education, the average cost of each lunch is $8.28.

Students get lunch at the Beehive after bringing a petition to “save school lunches” to Parlaiment.

Why is Labour worried?

Hipkins said there was no way the cost of Ka Ora Ka Ako could be halved without taking it off children.

“It is actually a very cost effective programme. If you think about it in broader economic terms, it's actually more efficient than having each individual child bringing their own individual lunch box to school,” Hipkins said.

He criticised Prime Minister Christopher Luxon for taking a clearer stance on the school lunches programme. Seymour, as minister in charge, has questioned its value and said it needed serious cutbacks.

“They've created a huge amount of anxiety amongst these schools, because the schools know what a difference this program is making,” Hipkins said.

What does Luxon think?

During the election campaign, Luxon committed to continuing Ka Ora Ka Ako.

Bishop Viard students speak to Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Moana Kemp in the Beehive.

But he did leave the door open to taking some of the funding out of it, saying he wanted to review all Government spending.

Since becoming prime minister, Luxon had not appeared to have significantly changed that position. He has made very few direct statements related to free school lunches.

And how do the schools, and students, feel?

In the Beehive on Thursday, Henry Tanuvasa, a year 10 student from Bishop Viard College in Porirua, told Stuff he was deeply concerned what cutbacks to free school lunches could do to his classmates.

He said it appeared that the Government was looking to target specific children, and only they would be eligible for the lunches - rather than an entire school receiving lunch. He said it would embarrass children who couldn’t afford school lunches, and single them out as being poorer.

Tanuvasa had brought a petition to the Beehive, alongside Health Coalition Aotearoa, to protect the programme.

“People are shocked. They see a leader that is trying to take away lunches from kids that are struggling,” he said.

“There is a cost of living crisis. There is in an inflation issue. And this is what they’re wanting to do?”

Another student, Miriam Siave, said the introduction of Ka Ora Ka Ako had made a obvious impact. It wasn’t around when she was in primary school, “and so kids at my primary school would come in with nothing to eat and they would just sit there”.

Ngāti Toa School principal Kathleen O’Hare said the programme had delivered clear results, increasing class attendance, the ability for children to focus in the afternoon, and the health of students.

She said it was flow on impacts for families at home, reducing their cost of living. She said there was very little food wasted, as many families would ask to take food home if there was any left at the end of the day.