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Education smart cards 'would cut down bureaucracy'
2 Feb 2010

Implementing smart cards in educational institutions would cut down on the amount of public money that is spent on bureaucracy, one expert has stated. 

Tom Bewick, Chief Executive of Creative and Cultural Skills, writes in the Times that rolling out contactless smart cards in schools and colleges would allow taxpayer and private investment to be issued to personal learning accounts. 

People over the age of 16 could then spend the points that are loaded on to the card at approved schools, colleges and training providers. 

Additionally, he goes on to state that contactless smart cards could prove to be beneficial to employers as they could add points to employees cards, which would allow them to take part in training schemes. 

Mr Berwick concludes that as well as making education and training more accountable, smart cards would simplify the existing system and offer greater consumer choice. 

sQuid ePayment services is currently working alongside schools in Oxfordshire and Wiltshire in order to implement cashless catering schemes in canteens to improve parental knowledge of what their child is eating and cut queuing times.