Next week the Fruit in Schools (FIS) initiative begins
another year of providing an essential service to our
youngest New Zealanders. Over 110,000 tamariki in 566
schools and kura across Aotearoa will receive a healthy
snack of fresh fruit or vegetables each school
day.
The successful scheme has been recognised by the
World Health Organisation (WHO) for performing a pivotal
role in supporting the health and wellbeing of our tamariki
for over seventeen years.
Te Whatu Ora fund the FIS
initiative, managed by United Fresh and supported by the 5+
A Day Charitable Trust.
Chair of the Trust, David
Smith, says that FIS will provide critical nutrition for
tamariki as inflation hits many whānau in the
pocket.
“It’s no secret that families throughout
Aotearoa are doing it tough this year with cost-of-living
challenges and the recent floods. FIS is a great way to
ensure the healthy kai grown on orchards and farms around
the country gets to where it’s most needed,” he
says.
“We produce some of the highest quality fresh
produce in the world, and the fresh fruit and vegetables
that tamariki receive through FIS provide vital dietary
nutrients for growing bodies and minds,” says
Smith.
Nelson’s Victory Primary is just one of the
schools enrolled in the FIS initiative. School
representative, Ashleigh Della Bosca, says the fresh produce
deliveries are very effective for tamariki.
“We are
hugely grateful for the Fruit in Schools. Our school has
been hit hard by COVID, and it is a huge relief to provide
fruit to our students, which we know is an excellent source
of essential vitamins and helps build their immune systems.
We love being able to promote fruit as a healthy snack,” she
says.
“Having a variety of fruit to chop up and eat
has helped teach fractions this term – a practical
component. Also, as we are a free lunch school, most
children no longer bring morning tea and instead eat fruit
at this time, which minimises the amount of junk food they
eat. Healthy, happy children will always positively affect
our students’ learning and attitude in the classroom,” says
Della Bosca.
5+ A Day Trustee, Dr Carolyn Lister, says
fresh seasonal produce is delivered twice a week to schools
or kura enrolled in FIS so that tamariki and kaiako (staff)
can eat it every day, and have the opportunity to try more
than two dozen fruit and vegetable varieties during the
school year.
“Around 80 percent of FIS schools also
participate in the Ministry of Education’s Ka Ora, Ka Ako
– Healthy School Lunches. Feedback from schools shows
these initiatives work well together. For example, many
schools have provided feedback that tamariki are more
engaged with their learning as the nourishment they receive
from FIS at morning tea and Ka Ora, Ka Ako at lunchtime
provides the energy they need throughout the school day,”
she says.
“FIS is about so much more than a piece of
fresh produce. Nine out of ten principals enrolled in the
initiative said FIS led to a sense of equality between
students regardless of their family circumstances, and 83
percent of principals said their children’s overall health
would decline if FIS ended,” she says.
“We also know
that the role-modelling of eating a variety of healthy kai
together at school has much wider benefits for tamariki and
their whānau and influences long-term changes. Our research
found that 70 percent of parents said that their child liked
eating fruit more because of FIS, and 37 percent said they
like eating vegetables more,” notes Dr
Lister.
Initially developed in 2004, FIS deliveries
are organised at no cost to schools or local communities. In
addition, the 5+ A Day Charitable Trust provides free
curriculum-linked resources in English and Te Reo to help
promote healthy eating and teach students how to grow their
own produce.
ENDS
About Fruit in
Schools
Fruit in Schools (FIS) is a government-funded
initiative managed by United Fresh and supported by the 5+ A
Day Charitable Trust. The initiative provides daily fresh
fruit and vegetables to children in low-decile schools, was
piloted in 25 schools in 2004 and has grown to
reach:
· 21 regions across New Zealand
· 566
schools (around 25% of NZ primary schools)
· Over
120,000 children and staff
· Over 27 million servings
of fresh fruit and vegetables every year
The 5+ A Day
Charitable Trust supports FIS by providing curriculum-linked
resources that support learning with engaging eBooks and
accompanying interactive activities in germination,
composting, physical activity and eating
seasonally.
Criteria for schools to join FIS:
·
Decile 1 or 2
· Years 1-8
students
About 5+ A Day
The 5+
A Day Charitable Trust was established in 2007 for the
benefit of all Kiwis, especially children. The Trust is
committed to increasing the consumption of fresh fruit and
vegetables for better health in all New Zealanders. We
encourage all Kiwis to eat five or more servings of
colourful, fresh vegetables and two servings of fruit every
day for health and vitality. Our key messages are in line
with our Ministry of Health and the World Health
Organisation’s recommendations. The 5+ A Day Charitable
Trust is funded by voluntary contributions from New
Zealand’s pan produce industry.
Find more about our
school resources, www.5adayeducation.org.nz
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