9 October 2012

Immediate Release

Feeding hungry children will help lift educational outcomes

The Government needs to tackle child poverty if it wants to improve student outcomes.

NZEI Te Riu Roa National President Ian Leckie says it is extraordinary that the Government cannot find $2.6 million to extend the fruit in schools programme yet is able to spend many times that amount on untried, untested and ropey National Standards.

“We know that poverty is one of the leading causes of student underachievement. If the Government is serious about lifting student achievement it would do something about child poverty.”

“Instead it seems intent on wasting hundreds of millions of dollars on implementing policies that will not improve education and that research has shown will have a detrimental affect on poor and struggling children.”

“As a school principal I know that children who are hungry and undernourished do not learn as well as those who come school well fed.”

“This is a shocking indictment of an uncaring policy. The Government needs to get its priorities right and start investing in all children.”

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