Drums beat louder for new school lunches to be scrapped

Demanding a return to locally produced meals, the Principals Federation says schools have been patient long enough.

Mōrena, and welcome to The Bulletin for Friday, February 28.

In today’s edition: Four-year parliamentary term may go to a public vote next year; new housing infrastructure funding system on its way; social workers begin work-to-rule strike. But first: mislabelled, wasteful and ‘yuck’ – are the new school meals fit for purpose?

Bring back old system, urge principals

The NZ Principals’ Federation (NZPF) has urged associate education minister David Seymour to scrap the new school lunch system, citing widespread food wastage and disruption to learning, Stuff’s Michael Daly reports. In a letter to Seymour, NZPF president Leanne Otene says the “global company” supplying lunches – lead contractor Compass Group – has failed to meet expectations, and calls for a return to locally produced lunches.

While Seymour has rejected their call, Compass may still be on the chopping block. The company’s contract with the Ministry of Education will be reviewed in term two, when it will be tested on “requirements to deliver ‘palatable’ and nutritious meals on time and in full, meet dietary requirements and minimise waste”, writes Newsroom’s Fox Meyer.

Complaints about mislabelled lunches, ‘awful’ meals

Right now, those requirements are a long way from being met. The new centralisd school lunch programme, introduced by Seymour in an attempt to save around $170m a year, has been plagued with issues since the start of the school year. Ham has been found in dishes labelled ‘halal friendly’, students have been handed “vegan” meals containing beef mince, and a complaint has been laid with MPI over special dietary meals – such as those for students with allergies – given to the wrong students. On Wednesday, Labour's Carmel Sepuloni said Seymour should be sacked for his handling of the programme, RNZ’s Mahvash Ikram reports.

Beyond the mislabelling problem, there are widespread complaints about the quality of provided meals. Aorere College principal Leanne Webb tells RNZ’s John Gerritsen she’s been disgusted by the “awful” meals provided by subcontractor Pita Pit – but “not Pita Pit as you would recognise it at a Pita Pit shop”. Last month the Herald’s Jaime Lyth reported on complaints among Auckland parents’ of “yuck” and “unidentifiable” meals. One said that on a particular day, “all several hundred” meals were thrown out after none of the students at their child’s school could stomach the food.

Temper your expectations, Seymour advises

While acknowledging teething issues which he says are now being addressed, Seymour argues the complaints have been overblown. “I don’t expect the meals to be the best students have ever eaten. If most students think, ‘Hey these are pretty good’, I think that is a good result,” he said last month.

Otahuhu College’s Neil Watson is one principal who agrees. Whether students like the lunches is "almost irrelevant", he tells RNZ’s Gerritsen. "It's like when we were at school with our school lunches,” he says. “You had marmite and cheese sandwiches and things like that and you ate them because you were hungry.”

Local suppliers forced to close

A less obvious impact of the new school lunch system is its ripple effects on the wider community, writes Stuff’s Nadine Roberts. Accompanying Labour leader Chris Hipkins, she visited former workers at Nourish Ōraka, a Christchurch social enterprise set up to deliver meals under the original version of the government’s Healthy School Lunches programme, Ka Ora Ka Ako.

Nourish Ōraka’s closure was a loss to the whole community, said Hipkins, adding that Ka Ora Ka Ako was designed to do more than just supply meals. “It was also about creating jobs, connecting schools with communities,” he said. “I think we’ve lost a lot of that with the cut price lunches that the Government’s now delivering.”

Have thoughts? Join the conversation in the comments.

‘Three words to describe my financial situation? Secure, comfortable, a little cheapskate in some things.’

As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a stay-at-home dad explains his approach to spending and saving. Read it here.

Four-year term may go to a public vote next year

Justice minister Paul Goldsmith has confirmed he’ll introduce legislation to allow New Zealanders to vote on extending parliament’s term from three to four years. The proposed law change would give governments more time to implement policies while increasing opposition oversight through adjusted select committee ratios. Proponents – including most of the public service – argue the current three-year cycle is too short for effective governance, while critics fear extending the term would limit voters’ ability to remove underperforming governments.

How would the new system work? It’s all a bit complex, but if there’s anyone who can explain parliamentary arcana in plain English, it’s legal eagle Andrew Geddis. Read his explainer on The Spinoff this morning here.

Read more

• Toby Manhire: MPs want a four-year term – should we give it to them? An argument with myself (The Spinoff)

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New housing infrastructure funding system on its way

Housing and infrastructure minister Chris Bishop will today announce plans to revamp the rules around housing infrastructure funding, with the aim of making housing developments and transport corridors more financially attractive to councils, The Post’s Luke Malpass reports (paywalled). A system of “broad-based and “pre-set” development levies will replace the current development contributions, allowing councils to collect far more of the costs of development. In a speech to the LGNZ conference, Bishop will say the changes will create a “demand-led not planner-led” development infrastructure system.

Mortgage rates, braking and accelerating

Even as New Zealand’s economy was in the depths of a recession, the Reserve Bank kept a firm grip on monetary policy, only easing up in mid-2023. This week on When the Facts Change, Bernard Hickey sits down with Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr to discuss whether the Reserve Bank should be hitting the accelerator now, rather than simply lifting its foot off the brake.

Join us at The Spinoff Book Club

The best way to enjoy a book is by yourself, the second best way is with a theatre full of people. Books editor Claire Mabey will lead a conversation with avid writers and readers Duncan Sarkies, Carl Shuker, Courtney Johnston and more. Join us to hear about their favourites, their recommendations, and what to look out for in the year to come.

Click and Collect

• Oranga Tamariki social workers start work-to-rule industrial action today for seven weeks. Social workers will refuse unpaid work, double shifts, being on-call and working paid overtime. (Rotorua Daily Post)

• Low-cost carrier Vietjet is to fly Auckland-Hanoi from September, making it New Zealand’s first direct flight to Vietnam in six years. (Stuff)

• The restoration of Auckland’s historic St James Theatre can finally continue after Auckland Council confirmed its funding commitment. (Stuff)

• Police are investigating after acting legend Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, 63, were found dead in their home in New Mexico. (The Guardian)

• A New Zealand tourist has been fined more than $900 and received a life ban after he drunkenly jumped into the Trevi Fountain in Rome. (1News)

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