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June 29, 2023
Petition to extend healthy school lunches
Peter Verschaffelt
Posted On June 29, 2023
Health Coalition Aotearoa is presenting a petition today to double the Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches programme .
Co-chair Lisa Te Morenga, a nutrition and Maori health researcher at Massey University’s Research Centre for Hauora and Health, will be joined by students from Porirua’s Ngāti Toa School.
The petition which has been signed by more than 100 schools, teacher unions and health and community organisations.
Dr Te Morenga says there’s $323 million in Budget 2023 for the programme, but there’s no guarantee it will keep going past the end of next year.
“We want to highlight how important it is, make sure we secure the funding into the future and also expand it to a lot more kids than are getting it at the moment because we know there are kids in schools who don’t get it who really need it as well,” she says.
Dr Te Morenga says school lunch is the most important nutrition intervention any government can take and it should be extended to all schools.
chair Associate Professor Lisa Te Morenga is will present its petition to double Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches programme to MP Camilla Belich at Parliament tomorrow
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