NEWS
KA ORA, KA AKO: Latest News and Updates Launched in 2019, the Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunches Programme was extended in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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y March 2022, over 45 million lunches have been delivered in 921 schools to over 211,000 learners, and 62 million lunches will be delivered in around June of this year. Schools and communities are best placed to understand what their students need. Schools and kura can decide whether to make their own lunches or outsource to an external supplier. External suppliers are selected through a tender process via the Government Electronic Tender Service (GETS)(external link) platform. Schools and kura choose from a panel of approved suppliers that have met minimum standards of food hygiene, waste management and food preparation. This will simplify the procurement process for schools. There are a range of supplier models depending on what works best for each school, for example a single supplier or a mix of suppliers. There is no set lunch menu for the programme. Schools and suppliers decide what works best for them. What is included in lunches will depend on several factors such as the chosen supplier, available catering facilities, the number of students, and a school’s distance from the chosen supplier. A typical weekly menu includes a variety of lunches such as wraps, vegetable sticks, dips, salads, soups, and hot lunches.
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Menus may also change from term to term to reflect available fresh and seasonal produce and any feedback from schools and students.
Costs From January 2022 lunches will be provided at a maximum ‘per child, per day’ cost of: • $4.84 for learners in Years 0-3 • $5.67 for learners in Years 4-8 • $7.21 for learners in Years 9+. These prices reflect the larger portion sizes
required for different learners and recognise an increase in cost pressures related to making lunches. Funding covers food, preparation, and delivery, and paying staff working on school lunches. From January 2022 staff working on school lunches must be paid at least $22.75 per hour. This excludes GST. The exact figure set aside per child per day will depend on how each school decides to deliver school lunches. Funds for each term will be adjusted to take account of changes to school rolls. H
