School tells Uber Eats to get on its bike

A high-achieving inner Melbourne school will dish up detention for students getting Uber Eats delivered, with the principal saying she’ll “nip it in the bud”.

Girls at an inner-city school will not only have their Uber Eats confiscated but they’ll get detention if they have it delivered to school.

High achieving Melbourne Girls’ College is the latest school to put its foot down, telling students they are not to have Uber Eats and similar services delivered to the Richmond school.

MORE: STUDENTS MOVED AFTER VANDAL ATTACK

IS VICTORIA HEADING FOR A PRINCIPAL DROUGHT?

PUSH TO DUMP HOUSE NAMES

Principal Karen Money said staff had recently noticed two deliveries and had decided to “nip it in the bud”.

She said the school had a duty of care to students and did not know if the people delivering the food had Working With Children clearances.

Ms Money said while the school canteen was not perfect, it was “trying to promote healthy eating as much as we can”.

“It is not widespread. A teacher saw it being delivered and then we saw another delivery,” she said.

In the school newsletter, assistant principal Brent Houghton said offending students would go hungry and would receive detention.

“Uber Eats and other food delivery services are not allowed at MGC during school hours,” Mr Houghton told families.

Uber Eats has been banned from top ranking government school, Melbourne Girls’ College.

“This applies whether students leave school grounds to meet drivers, drivers enter school grounds or food is passed through school fences.”

Uber Eats’ community guidelines say that people need to be 18 years or older to have an Uber Eats account. Many of the Year 12 students would be 17, turning 18.

“If your child is using your account to receive food, a parent or guardian must be with them when the order is delivered,” the community guidelines state.

However, there is anecdotal evidence that these guidelines are being ignored by hungry students and deliverers.

Schools have become increasingly concerned about unauthorised people wandering around schools, dropping off orders.

Several schools have banned Uber Eats delivering to their campuses. Picture: AAP Image/Carmela Roche

However, at some schools students have tried to get around the bans by getting food delivered to nearby addresses or at the end of the day so they can collect after school.

Earlier this year, Uber Eats was handing out $10 vouchers to students at a railway station.

St Catherine’s, in Toorak, and Canterbury Girls’ Secondary School are among schools banning delivery services. In the case of Canterbury Girls, the school said there were issues around unauthorised access to school, additional workload for the administration staff and unregulated food.

Melbourne Girls’ College has told students that if they don’t pack their own lunch they can buy at the school canteen in person or order online which gives them priority pick up at lunchtime. At the school canteen students can chose from vegetarian, nut free, halal or gluten free offerings.

Lamb or spinach pide, spanakopita, sushi rolls and Thai noodle and chicken salad are on offer as well as pies, sausage rolls, wedges and dim sims.

An Uber Eats spokeswoman said it did not encourage deliveries to schools and the Uber Eats’ terms and conditions clearly stated that users needed to be 18 year of age.

“In our community guidelines for delivery partners, we state: All deliveries to schools should be made through the school reception or equivalent in accordance with the school authority’s official procedures,” she said.

“Please remember, as a delivery partner, you have the right to cancel deliveries to unsupervised minors. This will not impact your cancellation rate.”

She said Uber Eats respected policy decisions made by schools.

The Department of Education and Training said policies on food delivery services were made at a local level by individual schools in consultation with their communities.

[e-mail]