To insist on sending gluten free flour for DS's food tech lesson

Has DS been diagnosed with coeliac disease by the GP? I think this is critical as to whether you are being unreasonable or not.

I wouldn't send flour. I'd send a message to say we don't have gluten containing products in the house due to allergy/intolerance. Please be aware not to ask my son not to handle/eat gluten.
I know some kids would feel pressure to be just like anyone else and taste the products. Not all have the confidence to stand up.

I think you’re right and it’s silly of the teacher not to take advantage of this opportunity to allow them to cook both gluten and non gluten and do a comparison.

This sounds like the GCSE curriculum, he will need to know the effect of gluten.
I think at some point they wash the gluten from the flour, unless things have changed in the last couple of years.

YABU, school have explained why, you could always cook the same thing at home GF with him so he gets to eat it.

The OP hasnt mentioned any future lessons, there is no way of knowing whether students will be doing a separate lesson using gluten free to both compare properties but possibly looking at intolerances as a whole. If that is the case the OP can not/should not tip the lesson sequences on its head by insisting her child uses gluten free on the gluten week

I think if this is for GCSE then it is reasonable. If lower down school then I think they should allow gluten free and use him as the comparison.

Edited for typos

If The curriculum says study the effect of gluten then they should have gluten and none gluten or they are not studying any effect , just making a mockery of education and scientific method

The DC won’t be ill unless he eats the items containing gluten. If he had a severe allergy triggered by atmospheric exposure to gluten the OP would have had to pull him out of all food tech lessons already.

Why don't you just go the whole way and revise the National Curriculum to suit your child?

How can you study the effects of gluten without having a with and without gluten version ? Very poor science surely

I would expect a Food teacher to understand dietary requirements like gluten intolerance... and why this lesson could potentially cause illness...

The point of the lesson is to examine the effect of gluten in baking, not to produce something edible.

What's the point of cooking something inedible in a food tech class??

OP: yes, point out to them that DS baking with gluten-free flour will provide an in-class example they can compare with gluten flour. Although will that be edible or would a different recipe be needed?

Ask for the recipe to be sent home and DS can make a gluten free batch at home.

If it's a food science type lesson rather than a catering lesson you would be unreasonable to send in the gluten free flour. They may well be doing gluten free the following lesson to compare.

Actually - think it would be useful to have both gluten including and gluten free examples. Then you can 'see' the difference in the dough stretch etc.

I wouldn't send non gluten. If they want to make the point of the lesson to be to show the effect of gluten - let them provide the resources for that. Why should you pay for something that is useless to your/your son?

Schools should pay for the resources to achieve the learning objective - not the parent. I remember a few years ago I found out my son was being told to use his mobile in school in a lesson to access something regularly - at MY expense as I was paying for the data (not allowed on school wifi) and it had used rather a lot. I kicked off and they apologised.

I would reply to them with what you suggested. It seems a good opportunity to show the difference with/without gluten.

I think you are significantly missing the point of the lesson.

I'm sure we don't need to spell out that they cant study the effect of gluten on baking without the gluten?

Yes, YABU to insist.

The point of the lesson is to examine the effect of gluten in baking, not to produce something edible.

Bake something gluten free with him at home. The teacher could mention gluten intolerance or allergy as part of the lesson. There's no need to make your child be the poster boy for it.