Feeding and fuelling Tassie children
School Food Matters (SFM), with support from The Tasmanian Community Fund (TCF) has published a business case for an expanded School Lunch Program (SLP) which can ensure more school aged children across Tasmania have access to nutritious and tasty meals.
The SLP is currently offered in 30 schools statewide and is dedicated to advancing children’s educational capability through access to nutritious, locally sourced school meals and aims to foster a foundational understanding of nutrition, healthy eating habits and addressing food security.
SFM Executive Officer Kirsty Grierson said the study proposes a phased approach to growing the SLP to accommodate the practical realities of implementation and ensure its sustainability for the future.
“Tasmania is facing considerable challenges in reducing the disparities in health and education when compared to national benchmarks, revealing a landscape where urgent intervention and innovative approaches are needed to deliver significant improvements,” she said.
“The SLP is not just about feeding children, it’s about investing in their futures, improving educational outcomes and fostering a healthier community.”
Julie Dunbabin, School Lunch Program Manager, found inspiration during her 2019 Churchill Fellowship travels to seven countries around the world to research how other countries run their school lunch programs successfully.
“At least one third of a child’s daily energy intake is consumed at school. Nutritious food in schools can lead to better focus and concentration, improved classroom behaviour and better learning outcomes.
“We are excited that as the first state in Australia to establish a school lunch program, Tasmania is leading the way.”
TCF Chair Sally Darke said the program would break down significant barriers to education by ensuring all Tasmanian children are supported with sufficient school meals.
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