Now they’re cooking!

Pupils will learn to cook for an hour a week for one term as part of a bid to repel statistics which show one million children will be obese in a decade.

From 2011, every schoolchild will be given hands-on cooking lessons in how to make cheap, healthy dishes from simple, fresh ingredients. Cooking has never been compulsory in secondary schools before.

At present, it remains a ministerial "expectation" but, as an optional part of the design and technology curriculum, it is not currently taught in all schools.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families says that about 85 per cent of secondary schools do offer cookery in some form. It wants those schools to make the change immediately and the rest within four years.

Tong School in Bradford is already doing its bit to change the attitudes and shopping lists of future generations.

All Year seven, eight and nine pupils study food technology and a further 100 Year ten and 11 students are working towards a GCSE in the subject.

Jane Girt, assistant head at the school and a food technology teacher, welcomed the proposals but voiced concern about the practicalities.

She said: "Learning to cook gives you a skill for life whether you remain at home or university - it's absolutely essential - and it is always fun.

"It is something that children who perhaps don't achieve academically can succeed in. It's a nice way of working together in a family atmosphere. And it is also health-related and important because of the threat of obesity."

Mrs Girt added that changing children's perceptions of food and introducing them to foods they had not tried and different cultures also remained an important element of the subject.

"We give children the opportunity to taste new foods which they would never have thought about eating before."

Tong asks parents who can to pay about 70p each time their child takes part in a practical cookery lesson to help pay for ingredients. However, a subsidy is available to those who cannot afford to do so.

"At Tong School food technology is very productive because Lyn O'Reilly, the head, really loves the subject," added Mrs Girt.

"But some schools will struggle because they do not have food technology teachers and some no longer have food technology kitchens."

Nerissa Gregory, head of design and technology at Tong, also questioned whether the national programme would work. "It's only feasible if the Government is committed to it. But it is very important that children learn how to provide healthy meals which will feed their families."

Whitehall plans to address part of the problem by training higher level teaching assistants to do some of the teaching and recruit more food technology teachers.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls said: "I think it is important to act now and maybe we should have acted earlier. It's not going to be just the technology of food, it will be how you can use simple ingredients, simple recipes, so that children and young people can be prepared for adult life.

"Simple cooking is a fundamental skill that every young person should master - it is at the heart of tackling obesity and will enable future generations to understand food, diet and nutrition; and put together healthy meals for their future lives."

He is promising to give schools £2.5 million a year to help children from poor homes to pay for ingredients.

Secondary schools will also be given support to build or modernise good food technology equipment and facilities on their own site or share at neighbouring schools and colleges.

Roger Sheard, operations manager of Education Contract Services (ECS) Bradford Council's award-winning in-house school meals provider, said compulsory cooking in schools was a positive step forward.

"There are clear links between obesity and education," he said. "Teaching students the essential life skills of how to shop, prepare and cook safe, nutritious, healthy food using fresh, local and seasonal ingredients is a critical link to their health and education.

"Food technology does not equip students with the basic essential life skills to enable them to be educated consumers so a more up-to-date and comprehensive course, covering the broader issues, would be welcomed."

Councillor Colin Gill, the Council's executive member for children's services, said: "Equipping children with life skills is essential. I welcome any initiative that teaches youngsters how to choose and prepare good, nutritious and healthy food."

However, Councillor Andrew Mallinson, the Council's executive member for school catering, also questioned how the national programme would be delivered. He said: "Bradford has already done a lot of good work in this area. Education Contract Services deliver extremely good, nutritious meals and are renowned nationally.

"The issues I have got with this lie around the £2.5 million allocation for ingredients. I don't think that is enough to help support children who cannot afford them.

"A lot of schools also no longer have kitchens. It may be that ECS invites schools to come into its kitchens.

"It is an interesting proposal but a lot of things need to be worked out. And of course we need to educate parents too."

Tong pupil Liam Brown, 16, who is studying for a GCSE in food technology and hopes to forge a career in the catering industry, gave a thumbs-up to the scheme.

"We have made different types of food such as bread, cakes and sausage rolls which is graded by the teachers," said Liam, of Buttershaw. "I really enjoy cooking and think everyone should do it."

The Government is inviting people to send recipes which could be adopted by schools to: getcooking.consultation@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk.