Katherine Rich MP
National Party Education Spokeswoman

12 June 2007

Burger Rings - Labour's 'healthy' option

The Education Minister is sending seriously conflicting messages to school boards about how to implement new National Administration Guidelines relating to the provision of food in canteens and tuck shops, says National's Education spokeswoman, Katherine Rich.

"In one breath the Government decrees that 'where food and beverages are sold on school premises, make only healthy options available', and then the Minister, sensing political fallout, turns around and says pies, sausage rolls, pizzas, chocolate and, curiously and specifically, burger rings, are ok!"

"The phrase, 'make only healthy options available', contained in National Administration Guideline 5 (iii), was quite clearly written.

"These are the guidelines schools follow - not all the brochure bumph and ministerial question and answer sheets the Minister keeps referring to.

"While Steve Maharey tries to appease loud criticism from schools he is only continuing to confuse matters with his soft assurances and long list of junk food exemptions.

"Glibly telling schools not to worry about a strict interpretation of NAG 5 (iii) will be cold comfort to a school that gets a black mark on their Education Review Office report for continuing to stock junk food.

"But this announcement and dilution raises a wider and more serious issue. The Minister cannot announce new NAGS, slavishly followed by the majority of schools, and then in the next breath tell schools that they need not strictly adhere to them.

"NAGs also dictate other school policy, such as those relating to literacy and numeracy, physical education, teacher conditions and bullying.

"Optional adherence to important guidelines would create chaos in the long term. Schools would be left wondering, is this NAG important or not?

"The Minister has no option but to command that NAG 5 (iii) be rewritten to reflect the reality of schools because, as written, it clearly rules out the very foods that the Minister spent all day yesterday exempting.

"School boards and principals deserve greater clarity than the murky situation created by this botched announcement."

ENDS

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