The government and Compass Group NZ Ltd (providers of Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches Programme) do not seem to be following their own contract to quickly fix the many issues with the revised school lunches programme.
“The government and Compass must act now to ensure our tamariki receive nutritious meals as promised,” says Professor Boyd Swinburn, Health Coalition Aotearoa Board co-chair.
Health Coalition Aotearoa is deeply concerned by widespread issues plaguing the revised programme—and the breaches of the contract between the Ministry of Education and Compass Group NZ Ltd. Several weeks into the revised programme, disadvantaged students are receiving substandard lunches.
The contract states that high-priority issues—like food safety and service failures—must be addressed on the same day they arise. Yet, these and other problems persist many weeks after they have arisen, undermining the wellbeing of some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most vulnerable children. Instead, the Ministry seems to be giving Compass until Term 2 of 2025 to resolve the issues, as reported by Newsroom.
“This Government has prioritised productivity, but hungry, undernourished children cannot learn effectively nor be productive. More than a quarter of Aotearoa’s children face poverty and food insecurity — this programme is designed to help those kids. These children are our future workforce, we need to invest in them. Currently, national (NCEA) and international student achievement scores (PISA) are dropping—particularly for disadvantaged students. Ensuring students have access to nutritious, appealing school lunches is a simple, effective way to improve student learning outcomes and productivity.
“The changes to Ka Ora, Ka Ako have set back the progress schools were making in helping New Zealand’s disadvantaged children. The programme must be fixed now—before more disadvantaged children go hungry,” says Professor Swinburn.
More information
Reports from schools across Aotearoa reveal serious failures in the revised programme, including:
- Unsafe food: The NZ Food Safety Authority is investigating concerns, as reported by BusinessDesk.
- Lack of allergy-friendly meals: Students with allergies are left without safe options, as reported by BusinessDesk.
- Waste and inefficiency: Unappealing meals are going uneaten, and previous systems to redistribute food to students or charities are no longer happening.
- Excess rubbish: The new system generates more landfill waste than before.
- Poor nutrition: The lack of fruit likely means lower fibre intake.
- Lack of transparency: Schools and families don’t know the actual nutritional value of meals.
- Halal concerns: No clear process ensures meals meet halal dietary needs.
- Late or missing deliveries: Many schools report meals not arriving on time.
- Repetitive and insufficient portions: Meals lack variety and are often too small.
- No direct communication: Schools can no longer work directly with suppliers.
- No student feedback: Tamariki have no way to voice concerns about their meals.
