Statement on cookery classes

22 January 2008

The Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) has welcomed the principle of introducing cookery lessons for 11 to 14 year olds but expressed concerns about the impact on the curriculum, the funding required and the training needed for staff.

PAT General Secretary Philip Parkin said: “Children should be taught how to cook and about the importance of a balanced and nutritious diet.  These are key life skills.

"However, the Government needs to plan and fund this very carefully to make sure that the scheme is a recipe for success and not a half-baked idea that ends up being binned.

"Schools will be concerned about how cookery is to be squeezed into an already overcrowded curriculum, and about the purchase of the cookers and other equipment from already dwindling budgets.

"There are practical concerns about what will happen if children fail to bring in the necessary ingredients. It might be more sensible for schools to purchase the ingredients more cheaply in bulk and charge the costs for each child to parents, with the Government meeting the costs of those on low incomes, rather than having an unwieldy system of parents buying small amounts to send in, with some being subsidised.

"I am also concerned about whether there will be enough trained teachers or higher level teaching assistants to meet demand."