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.
This holistic approach aligns with what we know about food and community. It’s not just about the food. Sharing meals fosters inclusion and upholds the mana of the people involved. It expresses manaakitanga, or care and reciprocity. Research has long told us that social and cultural factors have a huge impact on wellbeing and learning.
Unfortunately, despite the programme’s benefits and popularity, the current government is proposing funding cuts under the guise of a “review.” This short-sighted approach fails to recognise the wide-ranging positive impacts of a well-implemented school lunch programme. It also contradicts public health experts’ advice that the most effective interventions target the social determinants of health.
We have solid evidence that health is largely shaped by factors outside the healthcare system’s control, such as income, housing, education, and social connections. At Dannevirke High School, Ka Ora Ka Ako addresses many of these social determinants by providing food, employment, skills training and qualifications and a hub for positive social interactions. It can help reduce inequities.
As a society, we must recognise the interconnectedness of health, education, and community wellbeing. The Ka Ora Ka Ako programme exemplifies a holistic approach to education that supports students’ academic development and also their physical and social health.
Cutting funding to such programmes would not only undermine their immediate benefits, but also ignore the long-term advantages of investing in our children’s future. A compassionate society ensures everyone can access the foundations of health and learning. It is unreasonable and unethical to simply leave struggling families to fend for themselves against powerful systemic barriers. The state has a duty to pursue equitable outcomes, not just equal treatment.
The debate over funding for the Ka Ora Ka Ako programme should not be framed as a choice between education and nutrition.
Instead, we should see it as an opportunity to embrace a more integrated approach to learning that recognises the fundamental link between healthy bodies, engaged minds and strong communities.
By expanding and protecting initiatives like the wharekai at Dannevirke High School, we can ensure that all children have the foundation they need to succeed, in school and in life. Let us not be swayed by narrow fiscal arguments that fail to capture the full value of investing in our children’s wellbeing and future potential.
Associate Professor Chrissy Severinsen, Dr Angelique Reweti, and Associate Professor Bevan Erueti are from the School of Health Sciences, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University and carried out research at Dannevirke High School.
