Multiple risks with the cost-cutting revamp of the Ka Ora, Ka Ako school lunch programme have been revealed in documents proactively released by the Government.
From next year, more than half of students eligible for a school lunch, those in Year 7 and up in the programme, will switch from receiving a meal prepared daily by the school or suppliers to a scaled back lunch which could contain fruit and vegetables, pre-packaged food, heat and eat meals and/or sandwiches and wraps to be constructed by students. Primary students will continue receiving the existing offering.
The change will see the cost of the programme set up under the Labour government reduced by approximately $107 million each year.
Multiple risks with the cost cutting revamp of the Ka Ora, Ka Ako initiative have been revealed in documents proactively released by the Government.
“It’s always a tricky balance when you’ve got cost as well but I would really like to see them ensure that they’ve got some fresh vegetables available in the meals and that that grab-and-go option isn’t something that students will be getting every day or week because that really is not a healthy model,” nutritionist Dr Sally Mackay told 1News.
Now it’s been revealed Education Ministry staff told the Government in March it was unclear whether the $3 per head budgeted for older students could be achieved.
“The most significant risk from the proposal is that we have not market-tested or otherwise analysed the proposed $3 per head price.
“We do not know whether sufficient supply exists to offer lunches to the specified standard at this price across the full range of schools,” the report stated.
In another document in March, officials said this resulted in a “low level of confidence” in delivery but this would improve as data was sourced from the request for proposal process where businesses put bids in to deliver the service.
‘I can understand their hesitancy’ — Seymour
Associate Education Minister David Seymour said he was confident the budget would be achieved.
“These particular ministry advisors had been involved in doing it the old way for the last three years of their life so — it’s only human — I can understand that they’d be hesitant about change and doing it differently,” he told 1News.
There was potential the Government would need to put more funding into the programme, or reduce how many students were eligible or buy cheaper and smaller lunches, the document reported.
KidsCan charity has provided advice to the Government — the documents stated — on snacks, breakfast and lunch food it provided for 49,000 students affected by poverty.
“We provide heat-and-eat hot meals for $2 to $3 a serve — students’ particular favourites are butter chicken with rice and beef bolognese with pasta,’ KidsCan chief executive Julie Chapman said, in an email.
Chapman said the charity’s ability to provide fresh food was constrained by funding.
“…We believe that the Government’s buying power can ensure Ka Ora, Ka Ako continues to include fresh, nutritious food for all children who need it.”
The KidsCan advice informed the Government’s budgeting for providing food for around 127,000 older students at $3 per head.
“There’s absolutely no reason to think that we won’t do it for the two dollars plus 50% above the industry average making three dollars,” Seymour said.
“If there was, for some reason, we didn’t make that then we’d consider our options but there’s actually no reason to think that that is a realistic scenario.”
Officials stated the charity’s efficiencies gained during 18 years would not be realistic for the Government’s new programme in the short term.
Multiple ministries signalled concerns
Documents also showed the ministries for children (Oranga Tamariki), health, Pacific peoples, social development and Māori development (Te Puni Kōkiri) raised concerns with the impact of the alternative model on students and communities.
Education staff advised that the Ministry of Health reported the proposal “does not appear to be grounded in public health evidence”.
Oranga Tamariki told education staff the agency didn’t support the changes, with concerns “children and young people in care may be significantly and disproportionately impacted”.
“Look, this Government has received a financial hospital pass; the healthy school lunch programme had no money set aside for 2025,” Seymour said. “We’ve found a way to make it work feeding more children for less money and that pretty much sums up what the Government’s going to have to do to lead an economic recovery for our country.”
Up to 10,000 two- to five-year-olds in early learning services that met hardship criteria would receive food through a new $4 million programme, funded by the cost reduction in the school lunch programme.
The Ministry of Education stated the estimated 2025 cost for the previous Government’s approach was approximately $342 million. whereas the new Government’s approach would cost $239 million next year, including the early childhood education programme.
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