Shearer misses point on school meals

Labour leader David Shearer is doing his best to gain some much-needed traction for his party by focusing attention on the all-important education sector.

It's not as if it has been ignored with debate over national standards, charter schools and performance pay for teachers among issues addressed recently. But in recent days Shearer has deliberately drawn attention to Labour's vision of how to address areas of concern.

While there have been several aspects targeted, most attention has turned to the plan to offer a meal at decile 1-3 schools across the country.

It has long been known that hungry children struggle to learn as well as those who come to school with a belly full of breakfast. There is merit in trying to ensure that, of all the possible distractions, hunger is not impacting on our children's ability to learn.

Already a number of schools across the country provide some form of nutrition, mainly breakfast, and four decile 1 principals in Wanganui have signalled their support for the initiative.

Looking at the cost, it is affordable even at the high end of Shearer's estimation - and $19 million buys a lot of Weet-Bix. Some might argue that the costs will escalate as more parents cotton on to the fact that they don't have to feed their children, and demand intensifies to expand the scheme.

The greater problem, however, is the focus on feeding the hungry to boost their education result is that it is akin to putting the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. It doesn't address the root cause of the problem - why are so many parents unable to provide adequately for their children?

A bit of digging may well find that the causative factors fall under traditional Labour policies and that is where perhaps Shearer may find greater traction.

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