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. Thanks to Natasha Groves for preparing the tasks.
If you want to listen and read, just scroll down to the News story.
Use the vocabulary list to check the meanings of some words before you listen.
Vocabulary
audit – to officially examine a company’s financial records in order to check that they are correct
nutritional – if food is nutritional, it helps people grow and be healthy
nutrition – the process of getting the right type of food for good health and growth
comply with – to meet particular standards, or to obey a rule or an order
surplus – an amount that is extra or more than needed or used
packaging – materials used to wrap or protect goods
landfill – a place where rubbish is buried under the ground
recycle – to put used things through a special process so that they can be used again
backup plan – a plan that you can use to replace one that did not work
spokesperson – a person who speaks on behalf of a group or organisation
Try these activities while listening
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:
- What is the role of the Auditor General?
- What did the report find?
- What is the first problem?
- What is another significant problem?
- How many surplus meals were there in 2025? And in 2026?
- What did a survey in term 3 of 2025 show about waste?
- How much does each meal cost the government?
- What did the Ministry of Education warn?
- What is David Seymour responsible for?
- Take notes on David Seymour’s response to the report.
- What did Labour’s Education spokesperson say that Labour would do?
- According to Ginny Anderson, what is the purpose of the programme?
News story
Last week the Auditor-General released a report into the Government’s school lunch programme. The Auditor-General is independent of government and is responsible for auditing public organisations. The report found that the programme is saving money compared to the previous Government’s one, but that there are several problems with it.
The first problem is that not all meals are meeting nutritional requirements. On average, only 50.5 percent of the meals that were checked complied with nutrition standards in 2025, although this was slightly higher in terms 3 and 4 (69 percent and 75 percent respectively). Furthermore, there was not frequent checking of the meals, as only a small sample of meals were collected each week.
Another significant problem is surplus meals and waste. Surplus meals means the number of unopened, uneaten meals. In 2025 there were more surplus meals than agreed in the government contract with the supplier, at 10.39 percent on average. The report noted that this rate has increased to 17 percent in 2026. Waste means the number of opened meals which are uneaten or partially eaten. The report found that there has not been enough monitoring of waste. It was only measured once through a survey in term 3 of 2025. That showed that lunches had 8.82 kilograms of waste for every 100 lunches. In addition, all packaging is sent to landfill apart from in Auckland, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty, where only the lunch trays are recycled.
The report also found there were concerns around the planning and arrangements for the new programme. For example, Cabinet agreed to the price of $3 per meal, despite warnings from the Ministry of Education. It warned that $3 may not be enough to meet nutrition standards, which could affect students’ health and increase the cost-of-living pressure for families. The report stated that the programme was also implemented quickly, which led to inadequate backup plans.
David Seymour, the Associate Minister of Education, is responsible for the new school lunch programme. He was critical of the Auditor-General’s report because it did not assess the previous programme which the Labour Government started. He also said that he knew there were issues at the start of the programme but that they were addressed. However, Labour’s Education spokesperson, Ginny Anderson, said that it was shocking that 50 percent of school lunches do not meet nutritional standards. She said if elected, Labour would bring back fresh, locally made school lunches. It would be more expensive, but it would be better for children. She said that the purpose of the programme is to ensure children are full and can learn at school.
If you want to learn more about this topic, listen to The new school lunch programme from March 2025, Update on free school lunches from December 2024, and Free school lunches from March 2024.
Answers – you don’t have to write a complete sentence as long as you have the key idea in your answer.
a. What is the role of the Auditor General?
The Auditor-General is independent of government and is responsible for auditing public organisations
b. What did the report find?
The programme is saving money compared to the previous Government’s one, but that there are several problems with it
c. What is the first problem?
Not all meals are meeting nutritional requirements
d. What is another significant problem?
Surplus meals and waste
e. How many surplus meals were there in 2025? And in 2026?
10.39 percent on average in 2025; 17 percent in 2026
f. What did a survey in term 3 of 2025 show about waste?
Lunches had 8.82 kilograms of waste for every 100 lunches
g. How much does each meal cost the government?
$3
h. What did the Ministry of Education warn?
$3 may not be enough to meet nutrition standards, which could affect students’ health and increase the cost-of-living pressure for families
i. What is David Seymour responsible for?
The new school lunch programme
j. Take notes on David Seymour’s response to the report.
He was critical of the Auditor-General’s report because it did not assess the previous programme which the Labour Government started. He also said that he knew there were issues at the start of the programme but that they were addressed
k. What did Labour’s Education spokesperson say that Labour would do?
It would bring back fresh, locally made school lunches
l. According to Ginny Anderson, what is the purpose of the programme?
To ensure children are full and can learn at school.