Essay 249 – Cooking should be taught in schools

GT Writing Task 2 / Essay Sample # 249

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Many people believe that cooking is an essential life skill and should be taught to boys and girls in schools. Others disagree and believe it is a waste of school time.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Model Answer:

Many people opine that cookery is a crucial life skill and should be added to the academic curriculum. Others, nevertheless, think that it is a waste of school time. This essay will explain both arguments, and in my view, it should not be a part of the school curriculum for various reasons.

There are several important reasons why cooking should be introduced into the academic curriculum. First of all, it is an enormously important life skill, and schools are supposed to help children master the skills necessary to live in society. Second of all, cooking lessons can lead to the discovery of a cooking career. When schools provide cooking lessons, and students commence to embrace the art of cooking, this, in turn, can spark an interest in some pupils to consider cooking as a career. This will, in fact, offer them an opportunity to hone their basic skills and provide a platform for creativity in the kitchen. Last but not least, cooking at school can promote a healthy lifestyle. In cooking classes, students can learn how to maximize the value of nutrients, thus helping them prepare a nutritious diet in real life.

On the contrary, some people feel that it would be a waste of school time to teach students the art of cooking. They believe that cooking skills can be taught at home whereas the best place to accumulate academic knowledge is school. Aside from this, if cooking is made mandatory in the curriculum, then one or two major subjects would have to be given up eventually. The major courses exceed all other skills in importance when it comes down to seeking a job.

I believe that students do not need to acquire cooking skills in schools. This is because cooking once was an onerous task, but today, technological advancements have made cooking extremely convenient even for the most incompetent person. Therefore, there is no rhyme or reason to make cook obligatory in the academic curriculum.

To conclude, although introducing cooking in the curriculum reaps several benefits, this essay finds that it would be a complete waste of school time. Therefore, parents should shoulder the responsibility of teaching children how to cook.