Teachers defend food industry’s role in class
A senior food science lecturer has condemned a claim by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) that manufacturers of products due to be banned from canteens and vending machines were cuddling up to schools in a cynical attempt to return “through the back door”
Dr Ken Spears, a lecturer in food science at London South Bank University, who until recently taught food science and technology at St Martin’s comprehensive school in Brentwood, Essex, said teachers welcomed closer ties with food companies and - provided teachers retained independence over the curriculum - he saw no problem with firms such as Cadbury and McDonald’s providing resources: ”Manufacturers could provide essential financial and technical support and help the subject gain the recognition it deserved.”
His view was echoed by Jack Matthews, chief executive of Improve, the food and drink sector skills council, which has developed a diploma in food manufacturing and is involved in joint initiatives by manufacturers and schools to highlight career opportunities. One example, he said, was the Schools’ Challenge in which manufacturers provide technical support to around 80 schools.
“Teachers in science and technology are actively involved in seeking the support of employers. What employers and Improve are trying to do is ensure that all the necessary information is available to both pupils and teachers to raise skills levels,” said Matthews.
Worried about the dramatic fall in students studying food science at A-level and at university, the Institute of Food Science Technology (IFST) has also organised meetings between food scientists in education and industry.
At last month’s NUT annual conference, the union’s general secretary Steve Sinnott accused manufacturers of trying to re-establish their marketing foothold in schools. “Banned from selling fizzy drinks and sweets in vending machines, fast food companies might return through the back door as trust sponsors and governors,” he said. “Perhaps they’ll want to alter the science curriculum or the design and technology curriculum to highlight the science of food processing and marketing.”
The NUT is vehemently opposed to trust schools, which Sinnott claimed would result in the “selling of the curriculum and the education of our children to those who want to impose what may be narrow and prejudiced views”
