A new online payment service is being introduced in Dundee schools to give parents more power over how their children spend their money.
ParentPay will be introduced at Grove Academy in Broughty Ferry, Craigie High School, and their feeder primaries in the middle of next month.
The new system will allow parents to pay for everything from school meals and uniforms to trips online.
Stewart Hunter, convener of Dundee City Council’s education committee, said: “This technology allows us to have a classic win-win situation for parents and schools.
“The system makes payment easier for parents as it accepts debit and credit cards and can be accessed 24/7, while at the same time it takes away the costs and time associated for schools with having to manage cash securely on the premises.
“It even means that parents of primary school children can have online involvement in their children’s school meal selections, helping them to encourage healthy eating.”
He added: “Speaking as a parent whose son has just started secondary school, it gives us more control.
“Currently, we give our son money and he goes away to school and we’re not really sure what he spends the money on.”
Many high school pupils use swipe cards to pay for their school meals.
Mr Hunter said the new technology allows parents to see exactly how much their children are spending and to make sure they have enough on their cards for lunch each day and parents can also check the menu options online at the same time.
He added that the new system will also make it easier for parents to pay for things like school uniforms or trips as they will no longer have to send their children into school with money for these items.
“Parents don’t have to worry about cheques and they don’t have to worry about their kids forgetting to pay and carrying the cheque around in their pocket for a month,”Mr Hunter added.
Information on how to activate the cards and use the system will be sent to parents of pupils at Craigie, Grove and their feeder primaries in the coming weeks.
ParentPay will be rolled-out across the city in four phases which will be complete before the end of summer term next June.
Schools will continue to accept cash and cheque payments.