Hungry kids learn better, apparently. That's the theory anyway.
National's approach to education has been to cut programmes that help disadvantaged kids, underfund schools, and then express surprise when outcomes don't improve. The Ka Ora, Ka Ako school lunches programme was the most visible casualty, but the cuts ran deeper than that.
Labour's free school lunch programme provided healthy meals to approximately 225,000 students at low-decile schools. National's version? A reduced programme with lower-cost meals — critics called them "muesli bars and a piece of fruit" — at a fraction of the budget. The rationale was "fiscal responsibility." The reality was hungry kids.
Principals at affected schools reported immediate impacts: decreased attendance, reduced concentration, more kids going without food. But the government saved $107 million a year, so that's something to feel good about if you're the sort of person who feels good about that.
Source: Ministry of Education programme data, NZEI Te Riu Roa, Principals' Federation reporting
Schools across the country reported operational funding that didn't keep pace with inflation, effectively meaning real-terms cuts. Boards of Trustees were asked to "do more with less," a phrase that roughly translates to "your problem now." Special education support was particularly hard hit, with teacher aides and specialist staff among the first casualties.
Source: NZEI, PPTA, School Boards NZ annual surveys
New Zealand has been losing teachers faster than it can train new ones. Low pay relative to cost of living, increasing workload, and the general sense that the profession is undervalued have driven experienced teachers overseas or into other careers. National's response — mostly targeted recruitment campaigns — has not meaningfully closed the gap. You can't recruitment-poster your way out of a systemic problem.
Source: Education Review Office workforce reporting, PPTA surveys
As part of its coalition deal with ACT, National agreed to bring back charter schools (Partnership Schools). These privately run, publicly funded schools were controversial under the previous National government and were closed by Labour. Their track record was mixed at best. But ACT wanted them, and coalition deals are coalition deals.
Source: Ministry of Education, coalition agreement documents
New Zealand's PISA scores were already declining. Educational inequality was already growing. Rather than addressing these structural issues, the government chose to cut the programmes that were actually helping the most vulnerable students. It's a bold strategy. Let's see how it plays out for the country's future workforce and social cohesion.