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Our son’s school REFUSED to give him food or drink after glitch left him with no money – he was humiliated

2023-09-15 00:00:00.0 太阳报-英国新闻原网页

RAGING parents have blasted their son's school for leaving him "humiliated, hungry and thirsty" after a meal card glitch.

Year 7 pupil, Sam, was shocked when staff at St Illtyds Catholic High School in Rumney, Cardiff, didn't allow him food or water despite the hot weather.

Sam, 11, was refused food and water amid the hot weather due to a meal card glitch Credit: Google

The 11-year-old tried ordering a pizza slice and apple juice which totalled ￡3.50, but was refused.

His parents, Ben and Anna, claimed Sam was told he didn't have enough money on his meal card - when in fact they had transferred around ￡20.

Ben, 32, told Wales Online: “They’re expected to wear trousers, shirts, blazer and tie and it’s really hot this week.

"So not providing a drink to him was just cruel.

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"He’s really not comfortable, he’s hot, feels dizzy and a lack of food and drink is obviously going to make it worse.

"I don’t get how they can get away with it and justify it.”

When they raised the issue in "disbelief", they were informed their son had been turned away because "lot's of parents run up significant debts".

The outraged couple were also told Sam should have asked another staff member to help resolve the situation.

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Ben and Anna revealed an email sent by St Illtyds, as seen by Wales Online, which read "a number of parents" had experienced issues topping up funds due to a "technical issue".

The fuming parents explained the ￡20 showed up as a "parent balance" on Sam's account because they couldn't top up his balance due to this glitch.

After their 11-year-old son was left embarrassed in front of the school, as well as starving and thirsty amid the hot weather this week, the outraged couple have formally complained.

They wrote to the school: "Our son was left feeling humiliated, hungry and thirsty in extremely hot weather conditions, despite the school being fully aware of the issues with [the online system].

He’s really not comfortable, he’s hot, feels dizzy and a lack of food and drink is obviously going to make it worse."

BenSam's dad

"We find the policy of refusing children food and drink on the basis that they do not have any money on their account and/or debts cruel, demoralising, concerning and neglectful."

The explained canteen staff should have been aware of ongoing technical issues and asked for advice from other colleagues.

"If a child reported to you that they were not fed, because their parents do not have any money, you would make a safeguarding referral to children's services," they added.

"But you are able to refuse children food and drink, because their balance is ￡0 and/or they have debt owed to the school."

Has this happened to your child? Email summer.raemason@the-sun.co.uk

Ben, who is employed as a debt benefits and housing adviser, also called for St Illtyds to provide more help for the parents who are in "significant" debt on the meal card system.

“We don’t have any debt to them, but they’re basing it on other parents who have significant debts," he said.

"But my point is, there are debt recovery processes in place in this country to recover debt - use them, as opposed to using the child as a weapon and preventing them from having food.”

A spokesperson from the school and local authority, said in a joint statement: “As soon as the school was made aware of a technical issue with the ParentPay system, staff put a process in place for pupils affected by the fault to still receive a meal.

Our son was left feeling humiliated, hungry and thirsty in extremely hot weather conditions."

Sam's parents

"Unfortunately, that process was missed for young Sam, and we sincerely apologise to him and his parents.

“The school is acting on the formal complaint from Sam’s Mum and Dad, conducting a thorough investigation to ensure that lessons are learnt and that this does not happen again.