The Royal Society of Health welcomes the move to make cooking a compulsory part of the school curriculum, but urges government to banish the burnt buns of bygone Home Economics classes and focus on balanced meals.

Commenting on the government's latest health strategy, RSH CEO Professor Richard Parish said, "Cooking in the curriculum should be based on solid nutritional standards, we need fruit smoothies instead of fairy cakes. If cooking in schools is to aid us in the fight against obesity then we need to focus on what is being cooked.

"Quality cookery teachers should be at the heart of cooking in the curriculum and nutrition should be at the heart of training quality cookery teachers. Teachers should be equipped with the skills and knowledge to enable young people to cook a healthy balanced nutritional meal. It should not be assumed that all cooking is healthy.

"Cooking is an essential life skill that empowers young people to eat healthily today and for the future. This latest government move acknowledges the essential role cooking has to play in tackling obesity.

"It is clear the scrapping of cooking from our schools in the 80's has fueled the obesity time bomb of today. Let's hope lessons have been learnt and cooking is here to stay. After years of neglect this will not be an easy task."

Concern has been raised by some professional associations about the practicalities and resources of training cookery teachers.

The Society demonstrated the demand for cooking skills in 2007, when 99% of respondents to a consultation with parents, teachers and pupils stated there was a need for cooking clubs. One parent commented: "We are the second generation of 'non-cooks' with no time to teach their children and no skills learnt from their parents."

28 January 2008

Media Contacts
For comment or to arrange interviews please call:
Alison Gehring, Senior Policy Officer on 020 7630 0121 ext 218
Professor Richard Parish, Chief Executive on 07816906559