High school pupils banned from ordering fast food

Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
Pupils at a North Island college have been sneaking Uber Eats at lunchtime, and some are claiming the food they get at the school is atrocious.

Hastings Boys' High School, which offers all its 800 pupils free lunches, has now banned them from ordering the takeaways.

On offer from Uber Eats in Hastings are: McDonald's, Carl's Jr, KFC, Pizza Hut, Subway to Burger King to name a few.

To some pupils, it sounds more appealing than the school lunches where they get the likes of spaghetti and meatballs, sandwiches and pieces of fruit.

Over the past month, many have been ordering in Uber Eats for their lunchtime meal.

But the school has put its foot down, sending a message to parents and caregivers yesterday.

"Over the last few weeks we have had an increase in the amount of Uber Eats being delivered at lunchtime," the message read.

"This has also seen an increase in the numbers of cars arriving on site to deliver food etc. After discussing this issue with the headmaster the decision has been made to not allow Uber Eats at school.

"With the school's 'lunches in schools programme' and canteen there is more than enough food available for students. Any Uber Eats coming into the school grounds after 17th of August will be confiscated".

RNZ spoke to some pupils outside the school.

Some said they got Uber Eats because they were "hungry".

"I love the school food but sometimes I get even more hungry 'cause we're growing kids," a pupil who got pizza, chips and McDonald's from Uber Eats said.

Another pupil got Uber Eats "because we get a good feed". The pupil called the school food "good, but not up to some standards - [not] good tasting food. The sandwiches are poor, appalling, they're atrocious."

Then a staff member came over, sending RNZ to the office of headmaster Rob Sturch.

Sturch spoke to RNZ, but would not be recorded.

Hastings Boys' High was a pioneer of free lunches - and many other schools had visited to get ideas, Sturch said.

A lot of work had gone into supplying the boys with healthy lunches and they catered to all dietary requirements, he said.

New Zealand Principals' Federation president Cherie Taylor-Patel did not believe the practice of pupils getting Uber Eats was widespread across the country.

"From time to time, you do get students who think about something to do and off they go and do it. When schools find out about it then they need to put appropriate things in place to make sure it doesn't keep happening."