Politics

If you want to develop your listening skills, try these tasks as you listen to the text. The answers are at the bottom of this page, after the Vocabulary. Thanks to Natasha Groves for preparing the tasks.

If you want to listen and read, just scroll down to the text.

1. Listening for main ideas 

First, just listen to the text, taking notes if you wish. What information can you catch during this first listening? 

2. Now listen again and answer the following questions:

1. In what ways is the new school lunch programme different from the previous one?
2. What happened in the first week of term?
3. In what ways were the lunches for Muslim students unacceptable?
4. What problems with variety have been reported?
5. As you listen to the following section, fill in the gaps with the correct number: The principal of Massey Primary School said that one day they received __________ meals but _________ were uneaten, because children said they did not like them. The principal of Lincoln Heights Primary estimated that up to _________ percent of their lunches were going to waste and only _________ percent were being eaten completely.
6. What has Associate Education Minister David Seymour said about the new programme?
7. What has the Principals’ Federation requested?
8. How has David Seymour responded to this request?

3. Language focus: Present perfect verb forms

Complete these sentences with the present perfect form of the verb given in brackets. Then read or listen to the text to check your answers.

1. This _____  _____ to some job losses in food preparation in communities. (lead)
2. Additionally, there _____  _____ a lot of problems with the new programme. (be)
3. Some nutritionists _____  _____ the quality is not as good… (say)
4. Furthermore, some schools _____  _____ receiving the same meal several days in a row… (report)
5. He agreed that there _____  _____ some challenges in the first month but said that there _____ also _____ a lot of positive feedback. (be; be)
6. However, the Principals’ Federation _____  _____ to him… (write)
7. In response, Minister Seymour _____  _____ that the old model was too expensive… (say)

Text

The new school lunch programme started when schools went back earlier this year. There were several changes from the previous programme: the government used to pay $8 per child for school lunches but now pays only $3, and the lunches are prepared in Hamilton and sent to schools around the country, instead of being made locally. This has led to some job losses in food preparation in communities. Additionally, there have been a lot of problems with the new programme.

Firstly, in the first week of term at the end of January, some lunches were delivered to schools late – in some cases, arriving after the students’ lunch hour had finished. School staff had to go out and buy pizzas or pies for the children, or they would have been hungry. This was extra work for the school staff.

Another major problem was that lunches for Muslim students were not halal certified. The school lunch provider uses halal certified chicken and beef, but their facility is not halal certified, so they labelled their lunches ‘halal-friendly’. However, this is not actually acceptable in Islam. In addition, some lunches which were supposed to be halal-friendly had ham in them, which the Muslim students could not eat. The principals of some schools who had these problems were angry that this group of students were not being looked after in the same way as the rest of the students.

There are also concerns that the lunches are not as healthy as in the previous programme. Some nutritionists have said the quality is not as good and the lunches are smaller and not as filling, especially for older students. Furthermore, some schools have reported receiving the same meal several days in a row – for instance, Lincoln Heights Primary school in West Auckland had butter chicken for 11 days out of 17, and Massey Primary School, also in West Auckland, had wraps or sandwiches from Pita Pit for nine days. This reduces the appeal of the meals for students.

As a result of all these problems, schools are reporting a significant increase in waste. Some meals are not eaten, and others are not finished. The principal of Massey Primary School said that one day they received 440 meals but 200 were uneaten, because children said they did not like them. The principal of Lincoln Heights Primary estimated that up to 50 percent of their lunches were going to waste and only 16 percent were being eaten completely. The principal from Kaitao Intermediate school in Rotorua also said that more children refused to eat the lunches than previously. Consequently, the sense of community that the school had with the previous system – children sitting together, talking and eating – has been lost.

Associate Education Minister David Seymour is responsible for the new school lunch programme. He agreed that there have been some challenges in the first month but said that there has also been a lot of positive feedback. However, the Principals’ Federation has written to him, asking for a return to the previous school lunches system with local providers. They say the new system is taking teachers’ time away from classroom teaching. In response, Minister Seymour has said that the old model was too expensive and that principals and students should be grateful and not complain.

For more background to this story, listen to Update on school lunch programme from 9 December.

Vocabulary

pie –

halal – in Arabic, permissible; for meat: from an animal that has been killed according to Islamic law

certify (past: certified) (verb) – to state that something is correct or true

facility – a place or building used for a particular activity

principal – the head teacher, the person in charge of a school

nutritionist – an expert in nutrition, that is, getting the right type of food for good health and growth

appeal – a quality that makes something attractive or interesting

feedback – comments about how successful or useful something is. Feedback can be positive or negative.

Answers

a. In what ways is the new school lunch programme different from the previous one?

The government used to pay $8 per child for school lunches but now pays only $3; the lunches are prepared in Hamilton and sent to schools around the country, instead of being made locally.

b. What happened in the first week of term?

Some lunches were delivered to schools late – in some cases, arriving after the students’ lunch hour had finished. School staff had to go out and buy lunch for the children.

c. In what ways were the lunches for Muslim students unacceptable?

They were not halal certified; some lunches which were supposed to be halal-friendly had ham in them.

d. What problems with variety have been reported?

Some schools have reported receiving the same meal several days in a row, e.g. butter chicken for 11 days out of 17; wraps or sandwiches from Pita Pit for nine days.

e. As you listen to the following section, fill in the gaps with the correct number: The principal of Massey Primary School said that one day they received 440 meals but 200 were uneaten, because children said they did not like them. The principal of Lincoln Heights Primary estimated that up to 50 percent of their lunches were going to waste and only 16 percent were being eaten completely.

f. What has Associate Education Minister David Seymour said about the new programme?

There have been some challenges in the first month but there has also been a lot of positive feedback.

g. What has the Principals’ Federation requested?

A return to the previous school lunches system with local providers.

h. How has David Seymour responded to this request?

He has said that the old model was too expensive and that principals and students should be grateful and not complain.