Anger as pupils are refused school meals
Pupils are being refused a hot meal in secondary schools in mid and north Wales if they have no credit on their cashless payment account, councillors have claimed.
Cashless systems have been introduced in schools across the country with pupils paying by card, fob or fingerprint scanner.
The North and Mid Wales Association of Councils is now taking the matter up with councils across the region including Powys and is seeking a meeting with the Welsh Government over the matter.
Powys Council Council has said that it operates a zero-tolerance policy to school meal debt.
But a spokesman said that if paying for the meal put the student in debt they would be allowed to have the food.
More than 20 of the larger town and community council’s attended a recent meeting when the matter was raised.
Association secretary Robert Robinson, of Welshpool, said: "The amount of debt by parents for school meals varies from county council to county council ranging from £20,000 through to £90,000. This perhaps says that there is an affordability issue. Not everyone is able to pay for more and more whilst getting less and less.
"The issues are not just about young people not getting a school meal but the duty to care for our young people and not penalise them for something outside their control. There has to be a change in attitude with a positive solution sought as soon as possible."
Councillor Brian Roberts, chairman of the association of councils, said: "This situation is obviously widespread over Wales and is a disgrace in 2019. It is as if we are in the dark ages. No young person should go without. How are they supposed to learn when they are hungry?"
Powys County Council said parents could set up notifications to show when their online balances for meal payments were low.
"It is parental/carer responsibility to ensure that there is sufficient credit on a ParentPay account to buy school meal and they receive weekly updates on their balance if it goes into debt," he said.
"Parents can also set up automated alerts on their ParentPay account to warn them that their balances are reaching a low level.
"If buying a meal takes an account into debt the purchase would be allowed and the meal provided but the pupil would be informed and asked to top up the account.
"The council works with parents and carers to maximise the uptake of free school meals and support them in any way possible to ensure they receive their entitlement."
