Wallington schoolboy denied lunch after computer error.

[maniac]

Slightly embarrasing for the school.

Wallington schoolboy denied lunch after computer error in Sutton (From Your Local Guardian)

Students here get a £2.00 overdraft if required so they can always get a lunch if this occurance happens. Bit of an OTT article in my opinion, but the student should have got fed, duty of care and all that. (The school does say he should have got given a meal at the bottom of the article.)

[SpuffMonkey]

I find it difficult to believe there is no way for the kids to "buy" credit with cash on the day, either through "money loaders" or at the Finance office - you couldn't run a system that demanded every parent had to run an internet connected PC to pay for lunch.

I don't think they should offer credit though - its just a chasm of pain - what if he spends his "overdraft" and then still doesn't pay and wants dinner the next day - theres got to be a point where you say "No" - so why not make it before you owe the school money.

[howartp]

I find it difficult to believe there is no way for the kids to "buy" credit with cash on the day, either through "money loaders" or at the Finance office - you couldn't run a system that demanded every parent had to run an internet connected PC to pay for lunch.

My thoughts exactly - we have cashless catering in school, and yes you can pay online via ParentPay, but we also have four Revals (Re-valuation) which are simply paying-in machines with a fingerprint and card reader, and most of the time you can pay cash or cheque in at the Finance Office.

Occasionally the Head of Year has to issue cash to ensure a student gets food, but there is a process in place to ensure the money is returned.

Peter

[maniac]

I don't think they should offer credit though - its just a chasm of pain - what if he spends his "overdraft" and then still doesn't pay and wants dinner the next day - theres got to be a point where you say "No" - so why not make it before you owe the school money.

We offer £2.00 overdraft which they can only use one, once they are in their overdraft it blocks them from spending until their account is in credit again. If a student needs a lunch, doesn't have any money they will get one, but we also write to the parent informing them that their child needs to credit their account - It works for us.

Mike.

[localzuk]

We don't have a limit on the meals people can have over their limit - schools have a duty of care to ensure the kids are fed.

However, at the same time, in this case, it is entirely the parent's fault. If she couldn't get funds on the system then she should have arranged an alternative - ie. packed lunch. It doesn't take 2 minutes to arrange it for one day, whilst sending a cheque in to top up the account for further days.

Also, the school is a little odd in the way they don't accept cash at the office. The idea of a cashless catering system is not the elimination of cash in full, but the elimination of cash in the canteen. The rest of the school should still handle cash!

[NikChillin]

He is hardly emaciated.. good grief! Talk about wrapping in cotton wool. Who gets the blame if he gets caught in a shower without a coat?

[BJG]

But when Darren chose his lunch and tried to pay he was told he didn’t have enough credit and his meal was binned.

What a stupid waste.