Schools and healthy eating: IELTS essay ideas

Some people think that schools ought to teach children how to cook and eat well. I agree with this view to a large extent, although parents will always remain important.

The main reason is that many families cannot fill this role. Parents who work long hours may have little time to cook from scratch, and some have never learned about nutrition themselves, so they pass on unhealthy habits. A school can reach every child, whatever their background, and ensure that all of them learn the basics. Timing is also important. Eating habits and tastes are formed early in life, so lessons in primary and secondary school can influence what people choose to eat for decades. Finally, cooking is a practical life skill. A teenager who can make a simple, balanced meal is more independent and less likely to depend on takeaways when he or she leaves home. In Japan, school lunch programmes combined with food education have been credited with keeping childhood obesity low.

Some argue that parents are the main influence on children's diets and that lessons cannot change what happens at home. Others point out that school time is already crowded and that kitchens and equipment are expensive. These are fair points. Nonetheless, the two roles support each other: children often bring new ideas back from school and encourage their families to try them. Schools do not need elaborate facilities, since basic classroom equipment, a few shared kitchens and links with local farms or community cooks could be enough, and lessons can be combined with subjects such as science and mathematics.

In conclusion, schools should take on part of the responsibility for teaching healthy eating and cooking, because they reach all children at a formative age, while parents continue to set the example at home.