Read food expert Fiona Beckett's suggestions of eight dishes which should be taught

Teenagers will be given compulsory cooking lessons at school, under government plans to ensure that all pupils know how to make eight different healthy meals.

From this September, every 11 to 14-year-old in the 85 per cent of schools offering food technology classes will be taught practical cookery.

The emphasis will be on making sure that pupils can master simple, healthy recipes using fresh ingredients, the Department for Children, Schools and Families said.

The remaining 15 per cent of secondaries – mainly all-boy schools that did not previously teach cooking – will be expected to have installed the kitchen equipment needed to teach the compulsory classes by 2011.

Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, said that he wanted members of the public to come up with ideas for the classic English dishes and international cuisine that children should learn to cook.

He is asking anyone with suggestions to e-mail the Government. They must be healthy, easy to prepare and the kind of meals that teenagers will want to eat.

The announcement comes as part of the Government’s obesity strategy, which Mr Balls will help to launch tomorrow with Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary.

Mr Balls told the Daily Mirror: “Teaching kids to cook healthy meals is an important way school scan help produce healthy adults. My mum was passionate about all this and bought me my first Delia Smith book.”

The 15 per cent of schools that do not offer food technology classes tend to be all-boys’ schools and former boys-only schools. Ministers say that this is an unacceptable throw-back to the days of gender stereotyping.

The new secondary curriculum emphasises practical cooking skills, and will also include diet and nutrition, hygiene and safety and wise food shopping.

From 2011 this will be introduced for all children in state secondary schools. Pupils will learn to cook a variety of dishes, including a “top 8”, officials said. Cookery is compulsory in primary schools.

The Government began an overhaul of school dinners three years ago after Jamie Oliver, the TV chef, campaigned against the poor quality of ingredients being served in canteens.

The e-mail address for the consultation is: getcooking.consultation@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk

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