1 May 2013
Time Has Come For a National School Food Programme
The Green Party is urging all political parties to commit to feeding hungry school children as mounting public support
shows the time has come for a national school food programme.
The Community Campaign for Food in Schools was launched today and calls on MPs to support the Feed the Kids Bill which
comes before Parliament in June.
“It is not right that in this beautiful country we have children going to school too hungry to learn,” Green Party
Co-leader and education spokesperson Metiria Turei said.
“Regardless of the cause of this hunger, it is there and it is real and MPs have an opportunity to do something about
it.
“The Green Party is committed to a school food programme and is working on ways to best achieve that.
“The Feed the Kids Bill is an opportunity for MPs to discuss the best way of providing food in schools. By agreeing that
providing something as basic as food to children who need it Parliament would send a powerful message about the value
that we as a country place on our children.
“Research shows that about 80,000 kiwi children are hungry at school. These kids are caught in a poverty trap. Education
is a way out of poverty, but research shows hunger gets in the way of education.
“If MPs are serious about lifting achievement of lower income kids, then we need to remove a major block that’s
preventing so many of them learning,” Mrs Turei said.
ENDS