In a recent press release the Green Party calls for fresh fruit in all primary schools (of New Zealand).
The Green Party is calling for the Free Fruit in Schools programme to be extended to all primary schools in New Zealand, and for the Government to make available free, healthy breakfasts in all schools, Green Party Health Spokesperson Sue Kedgley says.
Currently only 268 of the 2,662 schools that have children of primary school age on their rolls have access to the Fruit in Schools programme.
“If thousands of children are going to school hungry every day, this will adversely affect their health and well being, as well as their ability to learn. Hungry children won’t be able to concentrate and learn properly, and chronically hungry children inevitably develop nutritional deficiencies and health problems, ” Ms Kedgley says.
“That’s why most developed nations offer free lunches in schools, and it is a tragedy that we don’t have that programme here. The cost would be miniscule, compared to the health and education benefits,” Ms Kedgley says.
I find it absurd to expect children to learn while hunger, undernourished, or malnourished. To run a school properly, the children need access to healthy food. Rather than waste time futilely appealing to the government to fix up the under-funded hell-holds that they call schools, we the people need to make our own private schools. We need to ensure that every child has access to education, and that education must come with food, clothes, and shelter. I believe we can best provide this through student loans and boarding schools.
What do you think?