I'm a bit miffed about this Food Tech ingredients list

[IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads]

Not feeling brave enough for AIBU, and I'm sure the teacher has her reasons, but this is what DS needs to take to school next week. He's 14/Y9, do not into GCSE course yet, and food tech isn't one on his options. Also, he has food tech after lunch, and has to carry his cooking around for the rest of the day, as the fridges are full of heat the morning lessons have made. OK for scones, but for chicken?

Here is the offending ingredients list:

Thai Green Curry - 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 80g sugar snap peas, 2 small chicken breasts, 30ml Thai green curry paste. 200ml coconut milk, ½ lime, small bunch coriander.

My concerns - there's about £8 worth of stuff there, many of which (curry paste, coconut milk, coriander) come in bigger packs than required. That doesn't seem to be considerate of the CoL crisis - it's a big standard academy comp in a not-particularly affluent area.

Also - no veggie alternative ingredients offered - so half our household wouldn't eat the results anyway.

DS is not matey enough with anyone in his FFT class to suggest sharing ingredients. Expensive ingredients!

I'm delighted that the school is teaching the kids to make something other than scones and pizza, but there are so many cheaper curries to mark in an hour! They could start by making the curry paste! Or school providing (and charging for) the ingredients the kids won't need need "all" of.

(DS's previous school/DD's school charge for all FFT and RMT ingredients and materials at the start of the year, abs supply everything. I appreciate limited kitchen space doesn't always make this possible).

The pupils either throw it away because they can't eat it, (I have seen ppg/fsm pupils throw food away because they don't want it or don't like it).

Or it would go in the bin as no one else would eat it.

I say that in the context that not everyone in that classroom is going to be from a family who can afford that.

personally I also make my own curry paste but to buy the separate ingredients would also work out pricy, particularly things like lemongrass, fish sauce etc. And you would have to be inclined to make sure you like to make it regularly for that to pay off

But what can you make more cheaply? Tons of things, one of the issues we have in this country is the lack of vegetable intake, teach kids how to make vegetables and pulses tasty and desireable. So focus on veg and plant proteins. These are much cheaper.

No but it’s about being mindful
of the cost of living crisis. As well as food waste which is a huge problem.

We are talking about year 9 pupils, not catering college students. Besides thoe will be in the curry paste.

Learning to cook isn't just about learning to eat the cheapest thing you can find like some people on MN think. Not everyone is destitute!

Well sure, but in a class of children there are going to be at least a few (probably more at the moment) whose parents struggle to spend a lot on ingredients, especially for a meal a fair few won't enjoy or eat after anyway. There are plenty of cheaper recipes that use more affordable ingredients with similar cooking principles. They can explore the theory of more complex and expensive meals in lessons if it's that important.

What's the point of making people learn French when they struggle with English?

DD bought me a rice steamer for Christmas a few years back...cooking rice is now a "skill" I don't need.

That would be up to the school.

I’m just pointing out that in the UK we have primary and secondary education that is free at the point of use. If state schools are going to put something on the curriculum they are legally obliged to ensure students can follow that curriculum without charging them for it or disadvantaging them if they choose not to take something home.

It might mean that the curriculum is narrower than many of us would like. But the answer to that is to apply political pressure to improve school budgets, not illegally force costs onto parents.

I'm in my late 50's and still can't cook rice properly despite many, many lessons from my mum.

@WhatTheHeckyPeck and @Parker231 I usually cook basmati rice. I use part part rice and 1.75 parts water. Bring to the boil with the lid on, turn down to simmer and cook for 15 minutes. When 15 minutes is up turn off the heat and do not remove the lid. Leave to sit with the lid on for 5 minutes. Result perfect rice.

It always, always works. I have been cooking rice this way for many, many years.

I think that children should leave school able to make basic nutritious meals. I don't agree with your list, many of those are just not foods we eat. My list would be mostly foods that would keep a uni student or young family fed on a budget. I would make an omelette, rice, and stewed fruit from that list. Things like dhal, chickpea curry, chilli, cottage pie, sausage casserole, would be more important to me. Protein, veg, carbs, batch cooked and cheap.

Nevermind the cost, that room temperature chicken is salmonella poisoning waiting to happen!

No fridge option for chicken is extremely dodgy on hygiene grounds.

Our school has the much better system where parents are asked to pay a set amount at the beginning of the year and that covers the cost of materials for all tech including food, woodwork, acrylics, textiles etc.

I completely agree the school should just supply the ingredients, with some money (a few pounds) gathered earlier. Surely it’s much simpler than way and much more hygienic!

Exactly! They’re supposed to teach food hygiene so that is yuck!

Thanks goodness DCs school just asked for money & to bring a container. Bit dodgy carrying chicken around all day - def get frozen breasts.

Simpler for parents, sure.
But not for the person collecting the money, or doing the shopping, or organising the ingredients for 6 classes a day, 5 days a week. Or for the students with specific dietary requirements.

The OP stated that was a fridge, I suspect that the reason that her DC's ingredients don't get put in it is because the DC can't be bothered to go there and put them in, not because they are full of the mornings lessons cooked food.

I use part part rice and 1.75 parts water. Bring to the boil with the lid on, turn down to simmer and cook for 15 minutes

That should read one part rice and 1.75 parts water.

We aren't destitute but would very rarely cook anything for more than £2 a serve as we can't afford it. I work full time, one teen so no childcare costs, we are far from destitute. There are a huge number of families worse off than us.

You're lucky to get simple interest these days, let alone compound - which, of course, is why I asked the question.....

It seems nonsensical for everyone to buy and transport their own ingredients, much more sensible to pay for an ingredients pack at school, that way nobody forgets anything and nothing leaks.

Ideally they could eat the food for lunch so that nothing needs to come back home either

Clearly compound interest should be on the curriculum!

Compound interest is the impact of simple interest being reinvested. So if your simple interest is paid into the same account and becomes part of your balance, you get compound interest. This is the case with virtually all bank accounts and consumer savings accounts that have interest and it’s why credit card debt is so bad. That’s why it makes a difference if interest is paid/charged daily/monthly/weekly/etc. because the more frequently it is added to your balance the greater the impact of the compound effect.

Haven't read the whole thread but that seems very pricey especially if it's carried around all day so may have to be binned.

Fabulous! Might even be worth the 20 mile round trip, since these are the prices in our local Tesco Express ( I know cheaper supermarkets are available, but Tesco Express is what's local and accessible to non-drivers.