Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) is calling on all political parties to support Mana's Food in Schools Amendment Bill. The Bill would provide for state-funded breakfast and lunch to children in decile one and two schools. CPAG spokesperson Donna Wynd says the evidence for the benefits of breakfast for children who might otherwise miss out is too great to ignore.

"We know from many studies that breakfast improves children's school attendance, their ability to learn, and makes them less disruptive in class. It also improves their nutrition which has great health benefits.

The Principals' Federation is throwing its support behind Mana leader Hone Harawira's bill to provide food in low-decile schools.

Mr Harawira's Education (Breakfast and Lunch Programmes in Schools) Amendment Bill is yet to have its first reading after being introduced to Parliament in November.

It proposes to introduce state-funded breakfast and lunch programmes into all decile 1 and 2 schools, and other designated schools.

Public support is mounting for MANA’s Feed the Kids Bill which aims to set up breakfast and lunch programmes in all decile 1 and 2 schools.

It’s a pretty simple bill really” says MANA Leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau Hone Harawira, “Invest in making sure the 80,000 kids going to school hungry each week are fed and ready to learn and realise the benefits in better educated and healthier school leavers down the track”.

Alongside the recommendation of the Children’s Commissioner’s Expert Advisory Group on Solutions to Child Poverty to introduce government-funded food programme in low decile schools, organisations from across the board are calling for the bill to be supported when it comes before Parliament on Wednesday 13 February.

The Methodist Church is firmly in support of the Feed the Kids Bill, they have been kind enough to produce a flyer for distribution to help promote the bill.

• Click here to download a copy.

From the Spider & Me blog

News today that Fonterra is extending its milk in schools programme to all schools, with the lucky recipients getting 180ml per day of low-fat milk. This is very kind of Fonterra - sort of - but really throws into sharp relief the government's own lacklustre performance in dealing with hungry children. That is, they haven't. The Herald's article contains this snippet:

Education Minister Hekia Parata congratulated Fonterra for the initiative.

"As a Government we continue to encourage business communities and other agencies to work together with our school communities to grow the momentum of raising achievement for five out of five kids,' she said. "This is a great way to add value to our children's lives as they spend their hours getting a great education," she said.

We think this is what she meant to say:

Media release: Hone Harawira

“Great news” said Hone Harawira, Leader of MANA and MP for Te Tai Tokerau of Fonterra’s announcement that their Milk in Schools programme would be extended from its pilot in Northland schools to include all interested primary schools in the country.  

 “I know the kids up home have really appreciated it and it’s bloody great to know that every other kid is going to get the same benefit – big ups to Fonterra for this” said Harawira. “And while I’m at it I also want to thank KidsCan who feed 4,500 kids every week”.   “But feeding society’s hungry children shouldn’t be left to well-meaning companies and charities” said Harawira.

Stuff.co.nz

Palmerston North school principals are thrilled Fonterra has decided to give out milk to all primary schools. The company will be rolling it out from the beginning of next year - restoring a Kiwi institution from yesteryear. All 350,000 primary school children throughout New Zealand will be offered a free serving of milk every school day, as part of the Fonterra Milk for Schools programme.

 The dairy co-operative's chief executive, Theo Spierings, said that after trialling the school milk programme in Northland, Fonterra had decided to extend it to the whole country from next year.

“I encourage all those who care about the plight of our children to go to the website www.feedthekids.org.nz” says MANA Leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau Hone Harawira. “Ever since my ‘Feed the Kids’ bill got drawn from the ballot, I’ve had a steady stream of phone calls and emails from people asking how they can support the bill – now I can just point them straight to the website”.

 “The website has a lot of really valuable information about child poverty in Aotearoa. It backgrounds why MANA and a whole lot of other child health groups, teachers and social services are asking government to help out by providing free meals to our most vulnerable children.  And it also details how the scheme would work without being a burden on already overstretched teachers”.

“And tell your friends and family about the website too – the more people know about the problem, the more chance there is that something will get done”.