Food and Schools.

[gardening_gal]

I don't disagree with any of what you say Lumpy.

I'm not sure schools are the best way to teach this though. Over the years they do seem to be expected to teach any skill a person may need in life and I don't believe that's their place. Teachers have almost become foster parents in a way and are having to take on more and more extra curricular activities simply because parents are becoming less and less able themselves. Society has certain requirements of young adults entering the workplace and sadly being able to be more self sufficient with regards to food, just isn't a coveted skill. I do agree that it should be though.

Maybe we should bring in compulsory 'greenhousing' taught by individuals who actually care about the subject and make kids attend afterschool classes. Lol, can you imagine the uproar.

[MillieBee]

My son's school have an allotment and wildlife area with pond, and I have encouraged him with my gardening; the school also take the kids to the park once a week for their woodland class. It helps that his teacher is a keen gardener and allotment holder! She has had them all planting beans, courgettes, herbs and strawbs outside their classroom. There are kids who might otherwise never get a chance to grow, there are three high-rise blocks near us with no balconies.

I teach him sewing and knitting, and a bit of cookery
He helps with the shopping and I give him a few things on a list and his own basket, and let him loose in the shop, hopefully he'll pick up some savvy shopping skills! (although I think he despairs somewhat at my obsession with yellow-sticker food!)

These are things I think parents should teach, if they are able - of course, not all are, for various reason, so it's helpful if schools can devote some time too. But it shouldn't be all down to the school. And I'm not great at teaching. I'd rather the school did the spellings and maths and I did the home ecs, not the other way around!

[Snadger]

We had gardening lessons at school as the school had a huge garden surrounding it with glasshouses. The maths teacher was a very keen gardener and took the gardening lessons.We learned Hardy Annuals,Half Hardy Annuals,Biennials and Perennials parrot fashion the same as we did the maths multiplication tables.
50 years on I can still remember them in the correct order.

Got my first pair of steel capped boots at school and lived in steel cappers for the rest of my working life.

[Perko]

I think it’s great that schools are doing these things. My daughters school have been harvesting plastic bottles from all the parents to build a greenhouse with. My littleun does show an interest in being out in the garden and greenhouse with me which is great but I think it needs to start from home as teachers are really up against it these days. She’s just as happy sat in front of some rubbish on YouTube. They really need to be pushed to get them away from technology turning them into zombies.

One problem is there are millions upon millions of people living in poverty across the UK and schools are really struggling. One of the mums from my daughters class teaches in another school and has been asking for any old uniform (even pants) at the end of the summer term which she can take to her school next term. The divide in this country is huge.

It would be beneficial for life skills to be taught more in schools but there’s a whole lot of broken things that need fixing.