20 Feb 2020

Free lunch in schools scheme already showing good results - principals

From Checkpoint, 5:38 pm on 20 February 2020

The Prime Minister invited herself round to Flaxmere Primary School on Thursday for a free lunch, as the government launched its $45 million initiative in 31 schools.

The 460 students at Flaxmere are among the 7,000 students who are getting a free lunch every day, with plans to triple that number by the start of next year.

The free lunches, and Jacinda Ardern's visit, were welcomed with open arms at Flaxmere - a low decile school in one of Hawke's Bay poorest communities.

And as Anusha Bradley reports, the scheme not only fills tummies, but also improves learning and provides employment for some whānau.