The Scottish Government

I agree with Jennifer above...I did cookery at school in 1960s to early 70s and I am often heard to say it was the subject which gave me the strongest life skills. From learning to cook basic soups, stews etc to baking - as well as learning about the balance of meals, time management for preparing of food, the chemistry of food, right down to basic budgetting.

10 years ago as a school board member trying to effect change in my local primary school in East Lothian and having a discussion with a school catering manager over provision of vegetables resulted in a comment "children won't eat them". Having seen the worn out overcooked vegetables on offer at the local school...no wonder! Yellow broccoli too!! I have always found kids to enjoy peas, cherry tomatoes and sweetcorn all of which can be kept well.

Children need to know where food comes from, have access to healthy lifestyle information across the curriculum and understand the relationship between food and exercise.

Part of the problem is that the dishes taught in school cookery classes can be largely useless to anyone who's just left home. I got taught how to make five different varieties of scones, coleslaw, fruit salad, sponge cake and Coburg cake. We did get baked potatoes in the microwave and fried cheese sandwiches, but I would rather cook the potatoes in the oven and fried bread isn't exactly healthy. I think the lessons got a bit more useful in 3rd and 4th year, but I did other subjects instead.

As far as I'm aware, most authorities have compulsory home economics in first and second year. Pupils should be taught to cook things they could use as a family dinner at home, like spag bol, chilli, stew, a roast chicken and so on. And also get taught about food prices and nutrition, so they realised it was cheaper to cook homemade stuff rather than rely on ready meals.

Schools could also run weekly optional informal classes aimed at 5th and 6th years leaving home to go to Uni, to teach them to cook stuff like omlettes, pasta with tomato sauce or pesto, enchiladas and so on - stuff that's easy, quick and cheap to cook when you're catering for one or two people.

Also, more effort should be made in schools to teach pupils about different sorts of vegetables - aubergines, butternut squashes, avocados, asparagus etc etc. There are lots of people, particularly in poorer communities, who don't know what these are. If more people were comfortable with a wider variety of veg, Scotland would be a healthier place.

To much choice in school menus when I was at primary you ate what was put in front of you good and bad. Young children are given to much choice it confuses them. Also n my experience if you get children involved in preparing food they will eat or at least be prepared to try things they have not before

Yes, we need to get children grappling with raw ingredients when they are young. However, cookery in primary schools doesn’t just happen.
Here are some unsung heroes from an interactive cookery demonstration which took place in a primary school in Perth today.

The school secretary
This lady donated and washed 100 carrots from her farm, for the hands on session. She also brought some dirty carrots – time and facilities do not always allow the children to wash, peel and chop.

Scotherbs
Supplied all of the herbs.
SALAR
Sent salmon, from South Uist.


TOTAL (FAGE):
Donated yogurt and sent prizes and yes, I have asked Scottish yogurt producers. Hands on cookery is all about funding, if a Scottish producer says No - Stirrin’Stuff will pester other producers.


The Head teacher:
This lady found some funding and stayed after school and swept the floor to keep the cleaning staff happy.
Dinner ladies:
Helped with the washing up and allowed us to use the dishwaher between sessions.

Ayrshire has proudly led in local procurement, ALL Scottish councils should follow suit and support their local producers.
The education and procurement departments within councils need to work closely together with the local schools and producers, and most important of all, listen and really engage with them. When young people are involved in designing a healthy menu, they WILL eat enthusiastically.
RHET, ( Royal Highland Education Institute)
www.rhet.org.uk is doing great work in schools teaching youngsters where their food comes from and illustrates the various journeys and transformations it makes before it reaches their plates.
It is sad that a combination of supermarket shopping, time poor parents and a devaluing of that great subject, now known as Home economics has led to the present situation.
However thanks to various high profile chefs, there is at last recognition of the nutritional disaster already taking its toll. Councils must stop ticking boxes and start to create a climate which produces a quality outcome.

My daughters primary school uses local fresh produce which is great. Menu looks great if you are an adult but a bit too fancy for children. It needs to be children friendly, simple and healthy. Free meals for all ages and portions small. Children should be encourage to try new things and not forced by teaching staff.

Surely a key way to "get them young" is to provide FREE schoo; meals for all primary children, on the understanding that schools will supply only healthy, well balanced meals(and I don't mean boring, unappetising meals!)Then the children will have a chance of discovering that they actually LIKE the stuff!