MONMOUTH Comprehensive School pupils will, as from this September, be entering the hi-tech age when they queue up for their lunches each day writes James Conway. The School will operate a cashless system for pupils having lunch, which is the first of its type in the area. In a letter sent out to parents recently, Headteacher Carole Anderson outlined the new scheme, which she and the school hope will provide "a more efficient and faster service while providing healthy, wholesome and enjoyable meals." The school will organise an account for each student, which is created by taking an image of their fingerprint. This information will then be turned into a digital signature known as a mathematical algorithm while the image of the fingerprint is discarded, so there is no possibility of the stored information being used to recreate an image of the child's fingerprint at any stage, including after the student has left school. The new system will operate via an online payment mechanism called ParentPay, where parents put cash into their child's account. The system works by the student placing their finger on the scanner, which will match their details with the unique digital signature held in the database. A display will show the till operator the student's name, class and current cash balance, and the requested food items will be entered on screen. Headteacher Carole Anderson was keen to discuss the workings of the new system, and also the numerous benefits it will provide for students, parents and the school. "This is a fairly new system and we will be one of the first schools in the area to use it. Students can manage their own accounts with input from their parents and they have the advantage of eating healthy food for a low cost, something we are eager to promote," she said. "We feel very strongly that students who are entitled to free school meals should be able to claim them with confidence. Using this system, a student entitlement can be registered on their account and used like any other student." Mrs Anderson spoke of the encouraging involvement of the school council with several meetings having taken place chaired by the Head Boy and Girl where questions were asked and any concerns answered. Redcliffe Caterers, who are in partnership with the school on this new venture, have also been fully involved and are very pleased with its introduction. "There has been a lot of consultation with students and parents on this" said Mrs Anderson. "We've been thinking about it for a good five years now, and a lot of detailed planning has gone into the last twelve months. We visited other schools that have recently implemented the system and were very impressed with how it works.' There are many other benefits to the new system that the school think will solve common problems parents face involving lunch money. Parents will no longer have to scramble about hurriedly searching for cash each morning, lost change will become a thing of the past, queuing times will be reduced, and allergies will be catered for so that specific items and ingredients can be barred automatically from an individual's account. There is also a maximum daily spend limit on accounts, which will surely be a big relief to some parents! The Headteacher also said: "One of the best things about the system is how efficient it is. You can lose your cash, you can lose your cards but you can't lose your finger! Well, hopefully not anyway!' "We're going to be handling less cash, which is always good for a school, and if the system were to crash, we'll have twenty minutes of back up available, which we currently don't have. It's advantageous to everyone!" Mrs Anderson also pointed out the healthy eating benefits to the system for parents who don't want their children filling up on an excess of any one thing. "This is the start of a whole new initiative" she said. "We always try to promote eating healthily, and come September we'll have a whole new range of choices including a noodle bar and pasta bar." The school will also be introducing a system known as 'Reverse Vending.' This is a recycling machine which pupils put empty plastic bottles and cans into, and this translates into credit on their account. This can be monetary, or there is the option of a charity button. The school are continuing to develop this idea, which they hope will give students the responsibility that recycling provides, as well as a sense of achievement in giving to those less fortunate. "We'll be the first school in Wales to use this system" said Mrs Anderson. "The school is moving forward in so many ways and we're really excited for the future!"
