15110 (2025). Hon Willow-Jean Prime to the Associate Minister of Education

15110 (2025). Hon Willow-Jean Prime to the Associate Minister of Education: What were the reasons, if any, provided by the schools who have reduced the amount of lunches they are ordering as to why they have done so, if any schools have; broken down by reason?

Hon David Seymour: I am advised by the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) that schools adjust the number of meals they order for a number of reasons, including ordering to actual attendance rather than full roll to reduce waste, or surveying parents to identify students who would prefer to have their own lunch due to dietary preferences. Participation in the school lunch program is optional, and schools have the flexibility to manage the number of meals they receive via the online portal. We encourage all schools to consult with parents to determine how many lunches to order, to meet their needs. This means that those students who want a lunch can receive one. This protects taxypayer funds by reducing waste and surplus. No school has dropped out of the Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme since the beginning of Term 1 on 27 January 2025.