Young pupils to receive cookbooks

TdaNews Direct
Published: 12 September, 2008

The Government has pioneered an initiative to issue 11-year-old schoolchildren with cookbooks in the ongoing programme against childhood obesity.

Meals included in the booklet range from spaghetti bolognese to roast chicken and will be featured as part of a proposed £151 million overhaul of food technology services and teaching within schools.

The Schools Secretary, Ed Balls, stated that children should be taught the skills to develop basic and healthy meals from scratch, adding that many people had ironically "lost touch" with making food even though there was the largest choice of food available in shops.

"It will be great if young people had the chance to make healthy dishes from basic ingredients at home, not simply in the classroom – as I did when I was growing up."

Last week, Sky reported that Mr Balls had visited Newham Sixth Form College to meet with students taking diplomas in construction, one of five new courses offered alongside engineering, IT, media and health.