Educational Thoughts

Wasteful Government Spending? A Brownie Box for Schools

Recently, Manukau Christian School received a beautifully presented box of brownies, courtesy of the Ministry of Social Development, along with a card about an upcoming Youth Health and Wellbeing Survey. While the gesture was appreciated, it prompted us to reflect on the cost of such initiatives. With a total expense of $132,500 to send these brownies to 2,500 schools, plus design and printing costs for accompanying materials, we question whether this is the best use of taxpayer money. This post explores how spending other people's money often leads to less careful decisions, and why private schools, which rely on parents' fees, are generally more efficient in their use of resources.

Scott Kennedy

Published on 2025-07-28

Here at Manukau Christian School, we recently received a beautifully presented box of brownies. The box, couriered to us, came with a card thanking us for the "incredible mahi" we do with rangatahi (youth) and informing us of a Youth Health and Wellbeing Survey funded by the Ministry of Social Development. The card mentioned that we'd be hearing more about this study soon.

While we absolutely appreciated the gesture, it got me thinking about the cost of this "treat." Each brownie box, which weighs 800 grams, costs $44, with an additional $9 for delivery. If this has been sent to every school in New Zealand—there are about 2,500 of us—that means an approximate total cost of $132,500 just for these brownie boxes. The actual cost may be lower due to volume discounts, but our estimate doesn’t even include the money spent on the design and printing costs for the big colourful sticker attached to each box with the message from the Ministry of Social Development.

Now, don’t get me wrong—the brownies were exceptional. We commend the company, Cupcake Sweeties, for their high-quality product, and we'd gladly recommend them for anyone looking to treat themselves. The brownies were absolutely delicious and delivered with great care.

But when you take a step back and think about the numbers, it does raise a few questions. Is this really the best way to spend taxpayer money? Are there more effective ways to direct funds? Do we really need brownies to let us know that the Ministry of Social Development will be reaching out to discuss an important study with us in the near future? We can all agree that thoughtful gestures are important, especially in the context of relationships, but when we're talking about government budgets and taxpayer dollars, it's worth considering how we allocate resources.

One of the things we all recognise is that when we're spending other people's money, we're not as careful as when it's our own. We've all been in a situation where we weren't sure if we were paying for a meal or someone else was, and that makes a difference in what we order. If it's the other person, we'd order the eye fillet, but if it's us, it might be the chicken carbonara. We're naturally more cautious with our own money. I think that’s one of the reasons why private schools tend to be more efficient and effective—they don’t have a big pot of taxpayer-funded cash to dip into. They must spend parents' fees carefully to ensure the school runs well, that the quality of education is high, and that parents continue to trust the school with their children’s education.

This is a common theme we as a school see time and again. We're forever receiving highly colourful brochures and booklets from various government organisations—most of which look like they’ve cost a fair bit to create—but are of absolutely no use to us and end up getting tossed directly into the bin.

So, while we’re grateful for the tasty treat, we can't help but wonder if this is an example of the kind of waste that becomes all too common when there’s no incentive to spend wisely.

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