Inform your opinion: Parents, not schools, should be responsible for feeding their kids
The nourishment Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches provides goes well past feeding kids, says Massey University researchers. Photo / Getty Images
Critics of the Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches programme may argue that parents, not schools, should be responsible for feeding their kids.
However, this is an individualistic view which ignores the reality of systematic inequities that make it hard for many families to provide their children with the nutrition they need. The neoliberal perspective that individuals should be solely responsible for their welfare hasn’t effectively addressed these issues, and policies based on this belief have negatively impacted many communities and groups.
The Ka Ora Ka Ako programme addresses these challenges head-on, offering a pragmatic solution that supports educational and social objectives. By ensuring that all students have access to healthy meals, the programme helps level the playing field, allowing children from diverse backgrounds to pursue their education on more equal terms.
The proposed funding cuts to the programme represent a short-sighted approach that fails to recognise its comprehensive benefits. Narrowly focusing on academic outcomes overlooks the critical role that health and wellbeing play in educational success.
The evidence from Dannevirke High School, the subject of our recent study, demonstrates the programme’s positive impact on individual students and the wider community.
The wharekai at Dannevirke High School is much more than a dining hall with free lunches. Established in 2021 through the government’s Ka Ora Ka Ako healthy school lunch programme, the wharekai has become the heart of the school community.
Rather than outsourcing to a catering company, the school converted an old building into a commercial kitchen and dining hall, staffed by community members. Students help plan and prepare meals as part of their learning, gaining NCEA credits. The entire school, students and teachers alike, sit down to share meals together each day.
By providing free, nutritious lunches prepared onsite and eaten together by students and staff, the wharekai strengthens relationships, improves student wellbeing and learning and provides employment for locals.
Research into the Ka Ora Ka Ako programme has shown clear benefits – reduced hunger, better concentration and learning and more positive attitudes to healthy eating. The impact has been profound.
Behavioural issues have decreased while engagement in learning has increased. Students and teachers have developed stronger connections by interacting outside the classroom. The experience of eating together immerses everyone in practising care and respect around food. Students have gained a sense of belonging to a school family. These outcomes not only enhance individual learning experiences but also promote a healthier, more inclusive school culture.