1706 days ago

Free school lunches - A fantastic or flawed idea?

Reporter Hamilton Press

Hi neighbours - thousands of school kids will get a free lunch at school, Jacinda Ardern has announced.

Ardern says "children themselves told us during the consultation on the strategy that going to school hungry was a barrier to their learning."

Education spokeswoman Nikki Kaye says the Government hasn't considered that most schools don't have infrastructure for large scale food preparation and storage. She says "this would cost hundreds of millions and take away the autonomy of parents to provide lunch for their children".

What are your thoughts? Do you think this is a fantastic or flawed idea? Would you prefer that schools prepared your child's lunch?

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More messages from your neighbours
3 days ago

The Tova Show

Jen from Stuff

Hello! Are you a …
- A student/young professional renting
- A young family, renting or owning
- An older New Zealander/retiree/pensioner

We’re reaching out from the Tova show, the flagship weekly politics podcast on Stuff, as we prepare for our budget coverage and how it’s affecting Kiwis - we’d love to hear from you.

We need a few people who are available the week before the budget (Wednesday 22nd/Thursday 23rd May) and on the day of the announcement (Thursday 30th May).

Please email tova@stuff.co.nz or comment below if you’d like to share your perspective with us. We give you our commitment to treat your experience with sensitivity and care.

Type NFP if you don't wish your comments to be used.

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3 days ago

Share your New Zealand music memories...

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

It's NZ Music Month and New Zealand really has some beautiful songs from artists that we call our own.

Whether it's April Sun in Cuba, Don't Forget your Roots, or How Bizarre or Bic Runga's 'Sway' - songs have a way of unlocking memories and evoking old feelings.

In honour of NZ Music Month, share a New Zealand song or artist that is special to you and explain why.

Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.

1 day ago

Have you got a job for Don?

Libby Totton Reporter from Waikato Times

For most people in their early 80s, having to find work in order to make ends meet is something they will have happily put behind them in order to enjoy the fruits of retirement.

For Don McGovern, it’s an ongoing necessity - but also a challenge he is relishing.

Ideally, he would love to be employed as a groundskeeper, gardener, or on some kind of lawn mowing contract.

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