Can’t cook, won’t cook no longer.
In a bid to stem growing obesity and instil healthy eating habits, it has been announced that cookery lessons will be compulsory for all teenagers from September 2008.
The idea is that once young people are taught to cook spaghetti bolognaise and other simple meals, they will expand their culinary skills in later life and understand how good food relates to a healthy lifestyle.
Ed Balls, Schools Secretary, explained: “Teaching kids to cook healthy meals is an important way schools can help produce healthy adults.”
He is also asking the public to come up with ideas for classic dishes that should be on the curriculum, and adds: “the emphasis will be on making sure pupils can master simple, healthy recipes using fresh ingredients.”
But do school really have the right recipe to produce healthy teenagers?
Many argue that it is parents who should teach their children to cook and ensure they develop healthy eating habits. Schools should concentrate on the core subjects.
However cookery or domestic science used to be a feature of all secondary schools. Many of us fondly remember creating indestructible rock cakes and spongy toad-in-the-hole, but that was over 20 year ago.
Re-introducing these lessons could be a very positive step. The problem today is that many modern schools do not have the equipment and specialised classrooms to undertake practical cookery lessons. There is also a shortage of cookery teachers, who will take time to recruit. These issues must be addressed if the plan has any chance of working.
The new secondary curriculum will place strong emphasis on practical cooking skills, diet and nutrition, hygiene and safety, and wise food shopping.
All very important issues, however the basic components of any healthy teenager are a good dose of education, spoonfuls of common sense and lashings of self-esteem.
Hopefully these crucial ingredients will not be forgotten.