Local providers the answer to school-lunch woes, says NZEI

A national teachers union says returning the school lunch programme to local providers would fix quality, nutrition and diversity issues with the meals.

The President of NZEI Te Riu Roa, Ripeka Lessels, says the current “multinational lunch provider" is responsible for issues that have plagued the school lunch service.

“The bar that was set for local providers prior to this year's rollout was really high,” Lessels says.

“It doesn’t seem that this particular multinational provider has been able to maintain this standard.”

LISTEN: President of NZEI Te Riu Roa on Healthy School Lunch programme cost cuts.

Many local providers contracted under the previous model did not have their contracts renewed and The School Lunch Collective now supplies more than half of the 242,000 meals delivered through the programme.

Lessels says local providers consistently supplied quality lunches of a high nutritional value, admittedly at a higher cost.

Some local providers would survey children to scope their menu preferences and met with principals to assess how the lunches were being received.

“We knew that it worked and operated really well. Iwi were involved. Whānau were involved. Parents were involved,” Lessels says.

Associate Education Minister David Seymour. Photo: supplied

In a statement issued to TWN. Associate Minister of Education David Seymour did not indicate that the Government was considering NZEI Te Riu Roa’s request.

Seymour says he is pleased with how the School Lunch Collective is addressing recent problems.

“They have been responsive to issues raised and are constantly making system improvements to bring the programme up to the standard they are committed to. My expectation is that they will continue to do so,” he says.

NZEI Te Riu Roa says flow-on effects to the wider community must also be considered, such as local employment.

“Local providers, specifically in rural areas, provided employment for five or six staff in the kitchen, provided employment for drivers,” Lessels says.

“The impact of this new rollout is some providers having had to close up shop.”