Green MP, Sue Kedgley criticized the Government for disrupting its own guidelines aimed at improving academic accomplishment.

She has submitted her 16,000 signature petition to the education select committee seeking to re-establish school food guidelines, which were scrapped last year by Education Minister, Anne Tolley.

Ministry Officials also fronted the committee and presented that the guidelines were not required since several children brought lunch to school or bought food outside the school. They said that schools were being released from compliance demands to concentrate more on their central roles and boards of trustees were able to choose what food was available in schools.

Ms. Kedgley told MPs, "They seem to be oblivious to the advice from their own ministry that if children are eating poorly this will undermine their educational performance and academic achievement".

Labor MP, Trevor Mallard said that Ms. Kedgley should not hope that the ministry would give advice counter to Government policy.

She said, "I do understand, but interestingly I quote in my submission advice that was given by the Ministry of Education prior to this government taking over".

Ms. Kedgley said that tuck shops were the key source of lunch for nearly half of these students.

Ministry Official, Colin McGregor said that schools were still needed to market healthy food and drink but schools did not control what children bought elsewhere or brought from home.

"The clause itself, whilst it could maintain control within the school, outside the school where the students went or came in with lunch it was ineffective", Colin said.