Statement from Chief Children's Commissioner on the school lunch programme

To be attributed to Chief Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad:

“I remain concerned about the current issues in the free healthy school lunch programme.

It’s children who are affected here, including those who are impacted by poverty. It’s about the right of all children in New Zealand to grow up with an adequate standard of living, which includes the right to nutritious food.

That’s why free healthy school lunches need to be above politics, like all issues affecting our country’s children.

Children themselves have told me how important their free school lunches are to them, and that they want to have good kai at lunchtime to help them learn at school.

The Government needs to keep closely engaged with children, schools and principals and listen to their feedback.

The latest child poverty data shows that many families are struggling to cover the basics, and we now have 156,600 children living in material hardship. This includes going without basics like fresh fruit and vegetables.

Evidence shows that nutritious school meals can boost children’s physical and mental health, improve educational achievement, and reinforce lifelong healthy eating habits.

I’ll keep advocating to the Government and Ministry of Education to deliver better for children in the schools and kura that are part of the programme, and holding decision-makers accountable on their duties to children. This programme needs to be successful because children’s rights are at stake.”

ends