Since the dawn of time, schools have been havens for junk food. With hallways illuminated by the welcoming glow of vending machines, and lunch rooms serving up burgers and fries with reckless abandon, the nutritional value of a meal at school is rivaled only by that of dinner at 7-Eleven. In the case of my elementary school, we even had the infamous “Barquito,” a soggy Mexican pizza curiously served within a plastic bag.

But one school in Nottinghamshire, England is looking to positively alter the eating habits of students, and they’re using a school ID card to do it. The Holgate School — a secondary school in the Hucknall area — provides relatively healthy meals for its students. Inevitably, some kids will want to eat off campus, and the gravitational pull towards outside “chip shops” and “burger bars” is strong. In order to keep students close to the cafeteria, and the school’s carefully selected food options, Holgate has instigated an ID card system affectionately referred to as the fast food passport.
Only students with special ID cards are allowed to eat off campus. In order to acquire the card, and full access to an outside world filled with limitless junk food options, students must provide written consent from their parents stating its ok for them to eat lunch beyond the school’s gates. In the end, each student’s lunch fate hinges on their parents’ decision. What’s a responsible parent to do?
If you’re wondering how the junk food policy is enforced, well, the punishment is swift and stern. Headteacher Phil Crompton issues an immediate detention to any student who attempts to eat chips without an ID card.