Free milk a tasty treat

Tawhero Primary School's Malache Collins, property custodian Wally Franklin-Browne and Cheval Hough-Aki enjoy their first taste of free milk in schools. PHOTO/STUART MUNRO 050913WCSMMILK

Tawhero Primary School pupils have given the big tick to drinking milk in schools.

Yesterday the school received its first daily delivery of the cartons of UHT milk which the children will drink after their lunch break.

School principal Chris Dibben said Fonterra had also delivered a fridge to store the milk and a plastic-lined blue recycling bin into which the children will dispose their empty cartons.

The children have been taught how to fold the cartons which will then be sent to Thailand to be made into roof tiles.

Tawhero student Porourangi Manuel, in his story about milk in schools, wrote that the first scheme started in New Zealand schools in 1937 because the first Labour Government wanted to improve the health and welfare of young New Zealanders, "and use up surplus milk".

"Each day the milk monitors supplied a half-pint (284ml) of milk to each pupil."

"The scheme lasted until 1967," Porourangi said, "when the government dropped it on cost grounds and because some people were starting to question the benefits of milk."

In the 1950s, school milk bottles had cardboard tops with a hole for a straw.

"Not everyone enjoyed it," Porourangi found, probably because the milk was warm, according to Mr Dibben who remembered those school days.

All 350,000 primary school-aged children throughout New Zealand will be offered free milk daily while at school.