Automated payment system problems affect meals uptake

The number of children eating school dinners has risen across Tayside, despite service chiefs admitting a new payment system has caused problems in Angus.

New data from Tayside Contracts, which provides meals for children in Angus, Dundee and Perth and Kinross schools, has revealed that uptake continues to rise overall.

However, the Angus figure suffered a 3% drop in the first quarter of 2018/19 covering the period from April to June compared to the same period last year.

A total of 54.7% of Angus pupils ate school meals during that period.

Tayside Contracts managing director Iain Waddell said: “This can be attributed to the implementation of the ipay system in Angus which has been problematic.

“Where ipay is not functioning as planned there is no alternative payment method, which obviously has a detrimental impact on the primary school meal uptake.”

Mr Waddell said secondary school meals uptake had shown a marked improvement year-on-year, largely due to an increase in uptake of free meels against entitlement.

In Dundee, a shorter lunch break led to more pupils opting to have a school meal rather than go elsewhere, the report said.

Latest figures showed that 72% of city primary youngsters take school meals, compared to 62.3 secondary pupils.

Tayside Contracts also opertates Tay Cuisine outside catering services, and more than 50,000 lunches and teas were provided between April and June, including more than 7,000 breakfasts and lunches to pupils during the Easter break.