LUNCHES

Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunches Programme

The Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunches programme aims to reduce food insecurity by providing access to a nutritious lunch in school every day.

Around a million lunches are provided each week. By June 2022, over 58 million lunches have been delivered in 947 schools and kura to over 220,000 learners.

Matiere School is a part of the Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunches programme, which delivers free healthy lunches for students daily. Children and staff sit and eat together for a specified time during breaks.

Lunches are monitored to ensure the children are eating and not rushing off to play.

Lollies and artificial drinks are not permitted at school. Our school has delicious spring water, and the children are encouraged to drink it regularly during the day.

Ka Ora, Ka Ako aims to reduce food insecurity by providing access to a nutritious lunch every day. The name Ka Ora, Ka Ako is about being healthy and well in order to be in a good place to learn.

Research indicates that reducing food insecurity for children and young people:

  • improves wellbeing

  • supports child development and learning

  • improves learners’ levels of concentration, behaviour and school achievement

  • reduces financial hardship amongst families and whānau

  • addresses barriers to children’s participation in education and promotes attendance at school

  • boosts learners’ overall health.

In 2019, the Government announced a two-year initiative to explore delivering a free and healthy daily school lunch to Year 1–8 (primary and intermediate aged) students in around 120 schools with high levels of disadvantage across Bay of Plenty/Waiariki, Hawke’s Bay/Tairāwhiti and Otago/Southland.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ka Ora, Ka Ako has been expanded to include around 214,000 students, including secondary students. This aims to cushion the blow of COVID-19 impacts on students living in households which may now be experiencing heightened financial stress, job and income losses that can interfere with learning and wellbeing.