Public support to a proposed legislation to provide free breakfast and lunch to schoolchildren is gaining strength with a number of organisations voicing concern over poor nourishment of the growing generation.
Public Health Association (PHA), Save the Children, UNICEF and Quality Public Education Coalition are among the organisations that have underscored the importance of providing state-funded breakfast and lunch to children in Decile 1 and 2 and other designated schools throughout New Zealand.
Amending the Act
Mana Party leader Hone Harawira sponsored the Education (Breakfast and Lunch Programmes in Schools) Amendment Bill in Parliament in November 2012, which seeks to provide free meals to all students enrolled in the specified schools.
The proposed legislation, which seeks to amend the Education Act (1989), would also comply with the nutritional guidelines of the Health Ministry.
This Bill amends the Education Act 1989 to provide for the introduction of fully State funded breakfast and lunch programmes into all decile 1 and 2 schools and other designated schools in New Zealand. The meals will be available to all enrolled students in these schools free of charge, and will be required to meet Ministry of Health nutritional guidelines.
Parliament will debate proposed statute, popularly known as ‘Feed the Kids Bill,’ sometime next month.
Growing poverty
An explanatory note to the Bill said that growing levels of poverty in New Zealand have resulted in too many parents being unable to afford to provide their children with breakfast before school and/or lunch at school, or being unable to afford to provide their children with sufficiently nutritious meals before and during school.
“Research conducted in New Zealand and overseas has demonstrated the positive benefits to the school attendance, learning achievement, and health of children and young people when nutritious meals are provided by schools,” it said.
According to the note, the Child Poverty Action Group had recommended introduction of State-led and State-funded food in schools programmes in low decile schools.
The 2011 Report, titled, ‘Hunger for learning: Nutritional barriers to children’s education,’ and the Children’s Commissioner’s Expert Advisory Group’s Report in 2012 were key measures to address child poverty, it said.
Community Campaign
‘Community Campaign for Food in Schools’ was launched nationwide on May 1, demonstrating the growing concerns over an increasing number of children deprived of breakfast and lunch at school.
PHA Chief Executive Warren Lindberg said that the strong support for the Campaign showed the momentum is building. He quoted the Expert Advisory Group’s Report, which suggested a national programme of free food in all low-decile schools.
He said a number of Government agencies are currently considering options.
“The proposed legislation gives MPs the opportunity to get the best ideas about how to provide food in schools for all New Zealand children. We urge them to support the Education (Breakfast and Lunch in Schools) Amendment Bill at its first reading, so that it can be fully considered by a Select Committee,” Mr Lindberg said.
He also called for public contribution to the debate.
“New Zealand schools, communities and businesses have great ideas on how to integrate growing, preparing and sharing food into children’s learning. This Bill offers the chance for those ideas to be shared and debated,” he said.
He said that food insecurity is linked to poor health for children, including obesity and poor oral health, as well as to children’s educational achievement.
Read our Editorial, ‘Growing children need nourishment’ under Viewlink in this issue.
