Cookery Classes to be made compulsory

[snookhams]

Working in a Food technology department at a school, the timing of this astounds me. As from Sept this year we will be expected to teach all 11-14yr olds cookery, (if we did not already teach food tech we would have until 2011 to implement this), we have neither the facilities or the staff to do this within 6 months! On top of this the Government is asking you the public to email in recipes for meals that are simple and use fresh ingredients to getcooking.consultation@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk . Why oh why have they not asked the teachers they are at the grass roots of this and the best to advise on what it is possible to do with in the ability and time constraints. One good thing is that those that Poorer pupils' ingredients will be subsidised, at the moment this comes out of our departments budget or even out of the teachers pocket.

But ulitmatly we have said for years that we need to get back to the basics and away from designing foods ~ this will hopefully make for a healthier society.

[Chilly]

I didn't do cooking at school and I can't cook at all so I think it is a good idea but they seem to be trying to rush it rather than planning it properly.

[Minniespal]

I think it's a brillant idea. I did cookery at school, loved it and started experimenting with food and recipes from then.

[jjk]

I think its a good idea,dsons cook at school but its always the same things pizza ,short bread or fairy cakes. I do think schools should be given more time to sort it out though.The subsiding idea sounds goood:goodvibes

[Claire L]

Never know why cookery lessons stopped :confused3

I remember we made some great stuff such as fatless sponge cakes and a wonderful caribbean chicken stew, think my mum has the recipes somewhere!

I do cook as often as I can but working full time on shifts does make it more difficult, so a good old roast dinner when I am off all day is a nice way to cook a meal from scratch.

Claire ;)

[Strommie]

I loved Cookery classes at school. I think this is a good idea but maybe being rushed a little.

[natalielongstaff]

i think its a good idea as well, as usual its not been properly though through tho !!

[Goofyish]

I think this is generally a good idea as long as the cookery is backed up with good nutritional knowledge. I think it's more important to know the correct things to eat and what makes up a balanced diet than how to cook particular dishes.

I remember doing cookery at school when I was about 11/12 and quite enjoying it. Thinking back I did a stuffed marrow, a cheese salad, lemon curd tarts and a strawberry moose thing :)
All the girls had nice wicker baskets to carry their cookery things in, while I had mine squashed at the bottom of my school bag LOL It was a miracle that anything got home in one piece!

[mandymouse]

I loved Cookery classes at school. I think this is a good idea but maybe being rushed a little.

I agree, I used to love cooking at school (and was quite good too). It's a shame I'm rubbish now though ;)

[Frances999]

I think it's a bad idea and would be disappointed if my child's school adopted it. Teachers have a hard enough time cramming in the curriculum as it is, and with record numbers of students being unable to spell and write correctly taking teaching time away for cookery lessons seems ridiculous. As an extra-curricular option it would be fine, but making it compulsory is crazy.

[KayleeUK]

I enjoyed cooking at school.

DS (age 2 1/2) brought home his first thing he made at nursery - yummy biscuit!!

[Claire L]

I find it strange these days how there is not enough time to be able to have literacy, numeracy, cooking etc when we used to manage just fine, or is it because the school day has got shorter?

Claire ;)

[Dimplenose]

I'm so glad DD (Year 9) has finished cookery (or should I say Food Tech?) - she had her last lesson before Christmas. It was such a pain to get the ingredients together, weighed out and put into suitable containers for her to take to school. This was never helped by her only telling me the night before that she needed some special ingredient that I didn't have.

Libby

[Frances999]

Having read the news releases, I am glad to see it is only for one hour per week for one term of the year. In that case, it seems like a positive introduction. :)

[Goofyish]

I think it's a bad idea and would be disappointed if my child's school adopted it. Teachers have a hard enough time cramming in the curriculum as it is, and with record numbers of students being unable to spell and write correctly taking teaching time away for cookery lessons seems ridiculous. As an extra-curricular option it would be fine, but making it compulsory is crazy.

There is nothing to say it needs to be addition to the existing curriculum. Within the process of preparing and cooking a meal there are plenty of opportunities to include other aspects of the curriculum - Maths (weights, measures and meal costings), physics (temperature, chemical makeup of the ingredients etc.), geography (where the ingredients come from), biology (nutrition, personal health etc,) :)

[poohmadmum]

My DD (year 9) does food tech for one term in four. The year groups rotate between textiles, wood tech and graphics. She enjoys the cooking but it is a pain weighing out all the ingredients and finding enough tubs to put it all in and she often produces the recipe the evening before, saying she needs it for tomorrow! I think it is good that everyone can learn the basics although DD doesn't seem to do basic cooking and a lot of her recipes she wouldn't like to cook again!

[Cyrano]

I think this is an excellent idea. If they link it to local suppliers and farms so that pupils understand what is available locally it will be even better.
This way we'll cut down on food miles as well as ensure that ingredients that are used are in season :)

[Deedee]

I think its a great idea. We used to do cookery and needlework and the guys did woodwork and metalwork when i was at school.

[PoppyAnna]

I'm so glad DD (Year 9) has finished cookery (or should I say Food Tech?) - she had her last lesson before Christmas. It was such a pain to get the ingredients together, weighed out and put into suitable containers for her to take to school. This was never helped by her only telling me the night before that she needed some special ingredient that I didn't have.

Libby

Why on earth are you weighing and measuring the ingredients? Isn't that part of the lesson?

There is nothing to say it needs to be addition to the existing curriculum. Within the process of preparing and cooking a meal there are plenty of opportunities to include other aspects of the curriculum - Maths (weights, measures and meal costings), physics (temperature, chemical makeup of the ingredients etc.), geography (where the ingredients come from), biology (nutrition, personal health etc,) :)

I agree 100%

[mark&sue]

I had the exact problem Libby had with being told the night before, rushing out to find the ingrediants. weighing up etc. and how she had to carry an extremely heavy tin home on her walk home.

We were all pleased that food tech is over.


susan

[PoppyAnna]

I had the exact problem Libby had with being told the night before, rushing out to find the ingrediants. weighing up etc. and how she had to carry an extremely heavy tin home on her walk home.

We were all pleased that food tech is over.


susan

How sad I find these comments - I'm not blaming you it does sound a pain.
Food is such an important part of our life (it gives us life!) I loved home economics (as it was called back then). How are we going to educate our young about nutrition and healthy eating if the schools make it difficult to learn? I don't think badly of people that can't cook, not everybody is interested but we all know we are at the begining of a nutrition crisis in this country where people are relying on processed food to feed themselves and their families, surely learning to cook a handful of dishes from scratch will help.

[daipp]

I think it is an excellent idea. I'm a firm believer that we should be able to cook a basic but healthy meal as opposed to opening a packet and throwing it in the microwave.

The downside is that my friend took O' Level (remember them) Cookery and the only thing he make as a result is toffee - not very healthy!! :rotfl:

David