MP supports compulsory cooking on the curriculum (From Enfield Independent)

MP supports compulsory cooking on the curriculum

12:00pm Friday 15th February 2008

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EDMONTON MP Andy Love has given his support to a Government proposal to introduce compulsory cookery lessons for every school pupil.

The news means that from 2011, every pupil aged 11-14 will have compulsory cooking lessons for the first time ever.

Many schools in Edmonton and across the rest of the borough have been taking steps to get youngsters into healthy eating at a young age, with both Raynham Primary School and Hazelbury School recently installing new kitchen and catering facilities where they can make fresh dinners on site for the children.

These new cookery lessons will also now ensure that children learn the basics they need to go on and start cooking at home with their parents and later on their own, enabling future generations to understand food, diet and nutrition, and put together healthy meals for their entire lives.

Speaking about the proposals, Mr Love said: "Leaving school able to cook healthy dishes from scratch is an essential everyday skill all our young people should have.

"Fresh, healthy food means motivated children. Several of our local schools have recently been improving their catering facilities to ensure that all children get appetising, healthy dinners whilst at school, and the compulsory lessons will mean our kids can now make healthy dinners when they get home as well.

"I wish these lessons had been introduced when I was young - boys didn't get the chance to cook at school then.

"I'm glad it will soon be a thing of the past that young people can leave secondary school never having had a basic cooking lesson."

The Government will fund the new lessons with an extra £2.5million a year.

All secondary schools will also be told to build, modernise or share good food preparatory areas for young people to cook in every school by 2011.

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