Work begins to provide free breakfast in all Government schools

All children in Tasmanian Government schools will have access to a free breakfast through a partnership between the Tasmanian Government and Variety Tasmania.

Minister for Education, Jo Palmer, announced the commencement of planning for the roll out of a $6.5 million universal School Breakfast Program during a visit to Riverside High School.

“Students learn better when they have a full tummy, and we know there is a clear link between nutrition and learning outcomes,” Minister Palmer said.

“For a variety of reasons, many students arrive at school without eating breakfast including cost of living pressures, having to rush out the door, or having eaten very early due to long travel times.

“Hungry students are more likely to disengage from learning and teachers tell us this can equate to a loss of up to 2 hours a day in learning time.

“We want to ensure all student are starting each school day with a nutritious breakfast which is why this partnership with Variety Tasmania is so important.

“School breakfast programs lead to better attendance, stronger concentration and positive educational outcomes, and I’m really excited to support our students with the Variety model.”

The Variety model, which is currently operating in 40 Tasmanian Government schools, offers a simple 'click and deliver' platform to provide low-administration, high-impact for schools, reducing the workload on school staff and volunteers.

Schools already running a breakfast program with their local community can continue with that arrangement or choose to transition to the new Variety Breakfast Club.

When fully rolled out, the program will be available to every government school, which means breakfast for up to 50,000 students statewide.