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Free school dinner stigma discussed
15 Sep 2009

An Essex head teacher has spoken about the problems some schools encounter when it comes to dinner time.

The Daily Gazette reports the comments of St Helena School head Kevin Prince, who said that some pupils will not eat from the canteen because they think other people will laugh at them if they get food for free.

Mr Prince, whose school is located in Colchester, indicated that governors are keen for all people who qualify for school meals to receive them.

As a result, St Helena has introduced a new hi-tech cashless catering system, which involves pupils using their fingerprints to pay for food.

Schoolchildren do not need to bring in money - which could be lost, spent on junk food or taken by bullies - as the new set-up uses eMoney.

Meanwhile another eCash network in the UK, sQuidcard, has also established a presence in schools in a bid to help remove the stigma attached to those who have free dinners.

Two institutions in Wiltshire allow pupils to use contactless smart cards to pay for items from the canteen, meaning no-one can tell who has to pay and who does not.