TV chef Jamie Oliver should be knighted for his campaign to improve school dinners, the leader of Britain's biggest teachers' union suggested today.
Steve Sinnott, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, called on ministers to increase the amount spent on food for a school meal from the "pittance" of 37p to '1.
And he paid tribute to Oliver's work highlighting the poor quality of many school meals.
The Channel 4 TV show, Jamie's School Dinners, showed the chef transforming the food served in an east London school and led him to mount a national campaign.
Mr Sinnott told the NUT conference in Gateshead: "Don't you think the words `Sir Jamie Oliver' have a certain ring to them?
"The Government's recognition of the shocking diets of many of our young people is very welcome.
"It refuses at the moment to recognise, however, that 37p for a school meal is simply not enough. I call on the Government to commit itself to spending '1 a day on school meals."
Slogan
Mr Sinnott said: "A '1 on the plate should be a campaign slogan that all political parties could sign up to.
"Such a commitment would give our country the confidence that our politicians are serious about improving the nutrition of children."
Earlier this month Education Secretary Ruth Kelly promised Labour would bring in minimum nutritional standards for all school meals from September 2006.
From this September processed food such as sausages, cakes and burgers will have to meet tougher rules designed to cut the levels of salt, sugar and fat they contain.
Would you support a gong for Jamie? Have your say below.
Comments
Login or Register to comment
As Jamie said himself. He 'wouldn't feed this *@#" to his dog'. I was appalled to see what our children are being fed day in day out. I try to do my best for my little girl when it comes to her diet, but when all your hard work as a parent is undone at 12noon everyday by 'turkey twizzlers' and reconstituted rubbish, it is so frustrating. The fact that primary age children actually get to choose what they eat, what do we expect. Junk food or salad ehmm let me think. What would you choose if you were 6. What ever happened to sitting down and being served a hot, hearty meal. I'm not going back to 'the olden days', I'm only 26 myself. I'm sure Mr Blairs kids in their stuck up private school don't eat 37pence worth of food per day and I'm sure our Tony wouldn't allow them to eat such tosh!!
Keep up the good work Jamie. Your children and all good parents in this country are proud to have you speaking up for us.
No Jamie should not get a knighthood. He should be elevated to a much higher position than the lead singer of the Rolling Stones and the manager of the richest football club in the world.