Cookery classes now a must in secondary schools

London: You don't need a GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) in logic to work it out.

Only one person could be behind a school course in cooking featuring modules entitled Pasta La Vista Baby, Stewpendous and Veg Out.

Jamie Oliver, who lobbied ministers for six years to put cooking back on the curriculum, will see his wish come true in September when the subject becomes compulsory in English secondary schools.

The TV chef has teamed up with exam board Edexcel to create a course which will be available to more than a million pupils. Pupils following Oliver's Home Cooking Skills BTEC — a vocational qualification which will earn the equivalent of half a GCSE — will learn to cook staple dishes such as chilli con carne and roast chicken as well as how to write a shopping list, read food labels and cook economically.

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