25 signatures reached
To: Nick Gibb, Minister for Schools
Save A'level Food
Retain an academic route to study Food Science and Nutrition by keeping a food specific A 'level
Why is this important?
The country is groaning under the weight of its obesity problem, with numbers of diet related diseases reaching epidemic proportions. The impact on the physical and mental well being of the population and the practical and financial cost to the NHS is an increasing concern.
Removing the A 'level will further erode the status of food as a subject, it will become a vocational, craft option and uptake at GCSE by academic students will fall. It will be difficult to inspire the next generation of dieticians, nutritionists, food scientists and teachers. Trainee teachers will avoid specialising in a subject which lacks the job satisfaction and rigour of teaching sixth form and will become science teachers instead. Teaching hours and budgets will fall and there will be a shortage of specialist teachers to show children how to cook healthy, nutritious meals. The population will continue to turn to ready prepared convenience food and the spiral of obesity will continue completely unchecked.
The government's response is that other routes exist for students wanting to pursue a career in catering - that is absolutely true - however these vocational courses do not provide a route for academic students through to university. They also say that Food Technology is not fit for purpose and again they are correct! Food technology was created 24 years ago to shoehorn food into the new Design & Technology suite, focusing on food as a material alongside paper, textiles and wood to design and make products for a profit. The sooner food is removed from Technology and celebrated for the multifaceted subject that it is, the better!
A rigorous A ‘level which explores how to manipulate the physical and nutritional functions of food to create healthy dishes for a range of people would be invaluable for inspiring the next generation of nutritionists, dieticians and food teachers. It would also ensure there will be fully qualified food teachers ready to teach the next generation how and what to cook!
Removing the A 'level will further erode the status of food as a subject, it will become a vocational, craft option and uptake at GCSE by academic students will fall. It will be difficult to inspire the next generation of dieticians, nutritionists, food scientists and teachers. Trainee teachers will avoid specialising in a subject which lacks the job satisfaction and rigour of teaching sixth form and will become science teachers instead. Teaching hours and budgets will fall and there will be a shortage of specialist teachers to show children how to cook healthy, nutritious meals. The population will continue to turn to ready prepared convenience food and the spiral of obesity will continue completely unchecked.
The government's response is that other routes exist for students wanting to pursue a career in catering - that is absolutely true - however these vocational courses do not provide a route for academic students through to university. They also say that Food Technology is not fit for purpose and again they are correct! Food technology was created 24 years ago to shoehorn food into the new Design & Technology suite, focusing on food as a material alongside paper, textiles and wood to design and make products for a profit. The sooner food is removed from Technology and celebrated for the multifaceted subject that it is, the better!
A rigorous A ‘level which explores how to manipulate the physical and nutritional functions of food to create healthy dishes for a range of people would be invaluable for inspiring the next generation of nutritionists, dieticians and food teachers. It would also ensure there will be fully qualified food teachers ready to teach the next generation how and what to cook!
