Labour leader pops in to Melville Intermediate
Labour leader David Shearer paid a visit to Melville Intermediate this week – but not to check out the pupils’ school work
David Shearer got a taste of a Hamilton intermediate school yesterday, when he visited to find out how it is filling its students’ bellies.
The Labour leader stopped in to decile four Melville Intermediate to learn about the Koha Café – a daily breakfast club run by the student council with help from parents.
The café is supported by donations from the Society of St Vincent de Paul and private individuals, and has been running for just over a year.
All students are welcome, and last winter the café’s Weetbix, Milo, and toast attracted an average of 30 per morning.
They are not expected to pay, but can give a koha – hence the name.
Principal David Cooke said it was of great benefit to students.
Schemes like this are in the spotlight after the government’s recent announcement of $9.5 million of funding for a food-in-schools programme over the next five years.
Dairy giant Fonterra and foods group Sanitarium partner the programme, which will begin by providing Weetbix and milk to decile 1-4 schools.
Mr Shearer said food in schools was “copied” from a Labour policy, but he did not support a “blanket feeding” approach.
“Ultimately providing breakfast and lunch for kids is a parent’s responsibility. But if some kids aren’t getting it then you need to make sure that they … have the same start as everybody else.”
He said schools were good at responding appropriately to their students’ needs in this area, so a centralised programme would be a step backwards.
Instead, it would be better to provide schools with funding so they and their communities could find the best solution.
General manager for St Vincent de Paul Waikato Mike Rolton was also at Melville Intermediate, and hoped to discuss potential problems with the food-in-schools programme with Mr Shearer.
St Vincent de Paul has been helping feed students for five years, and currently donates meal ingredients to five Waikato schools.
Mr Rolton said the new programme needed more thinking through.
In his experience, only a small group within each school needed help, and existing structures would not cope if all the students needed to be fed.
He thought the government should fund experienced charities such as St Vincent de Paul to run the food-in-schools programme.
“Why reinvent the wheel when it’s already there?”
