PUPILS at 50 Warrington schools look set to soon be paying for school meals through a high-tech system which converts their fingerprints into a bar code.
Town Hall chiefs have agreed to introduce cashless catering systems across the borough, with a pilot scheme at three primary schools starting in January.
It is believed the system will result in up to 800 additional children taking healthy school meals, reduce queues, wipe out the stigma of free school meals and reduce bullying.
Birchwood High School has been using a biometric cashless catering system for some years and one was introduced at Culcheth High School in September where it has already contributed to a significant increase in the take-up of school meals.
Cllr Sheila Woodyatt, (picture) the borough council’s executive member for education, has moved to allay the fears of parents who believe the system will result in schools having pupils’ fingerprints.
The fingerprint is “scrambled” and discarded and no information about the whole fingerprint is kept. The system recognises five points on the finger and translates this into a bar code. It recognises the child from a reference number which has no linkages to any other information about the child, she said.
However, parents will also be able to opt out of the biometric system and be given the choice to use a PIN number instead – although this could remove some of the advantages of reduced queuing time.
Cost the system is an estimated £259,500 – half of which will be funded by a government grant which must be spent by next August.
Biometric cashless systems have been introduced at a number of schools in other areas.
It has been found to reduce queuing, making school meals more attractive to pupils, it helps eliminate the stigma around pupils taking up their entitlement to free meals, reduces cash handling in schools and helps reduce bullying.
Coun Bob Timmis said: “Something that reduces the stigma and results in people in genuine need taking up free school meals must be welcome.
“If it reduces bullying, even better. I can remember kids being bullied for dinner money when I was at school and I am sure it still goes on.”
Fingerprint system to pay for school meals
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
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So ‘finger print’ payment makes school meals more ‘attractive’ to pupils does it? Hows that then other than simply because it is a novelty for a while… CSI Crimewatch springs to ming. The novelty will soon wear off though. One serious question though and that is HOW are the meals paid for? At the moment parents of kids at primary schools pay upfront for their meals and it is a set price so thats quite easy. HOWEVER at senior schoold the kids just take in money each day. All meals cost different amounts depedning on what is chosen and the food areas are open at other times of the day for snacks too. So will parents of senior school kids have to pay ‘x’ amount upfront each week/month until their kids have spent their ‘allowance’ ? OR will a bill be produced at the end of each month for food eaten… that could be a shock to the pocket. Could be very complicated, its a bit OTT not to mention a possible waste of money. On the plus side though maybe more older kids are now having meals cos they can’t spend their dinner money on cigarettes or booze 🙂
Smacks of Big Brother and a back door way to create a database.