Poor starving urchins- won't ANYONE think of the children!

"Local primary schools fear Fruit in Schools could still disappear next year unless they grow it themselves - something they say is "completely unrealistic".

The $12m programme provides a free piece of fruit each day for students at decile 1 schools across the country to promote healthy eating..."

This appeared in the local paper. In a region where fruit is ridiculously cheap- what other food sells for under a dollar a kilo?

Every day I drive past roadside stalls selling apples for next to nothing. Hell, I drive past fruit trees on the roadside laden with apples free for the taking.

But still there seems to be a need for some do-gooder to demand we pay for fruit for other peoples brats.

These do-gooders could go out and pick up windfall apples- most orchardists happily give them away, but no- taking our money is the default setting.

Another idea- most schools in NZ have large amounts of land. Plant some fruit trees for the future. Not an idea that is appreciated by at least one work-shy schoolteacher.

"I already have enough things on my plate without having to drive a sprayer through the orchard before I start work."

At my kids school, the trees are maintained by parents working bees. The same couple of dozen of us spend an afternoon once a year pruning, trimming and generally sorting the gardens out.

All part of taking responsibility for the well- being of your own children. But then if these decile one types did that, fruit in lunchboxes wouldn't be an issue...