Why is that it takes a high profile celebrity chef to bring it to the governments attention that our kids are eating rubbish? Also, could someone explain why I pay over B#7.00 a week on school dinners, per child, yet my kids are eating fast foods that cost under 40p to prepare?

My children are moving now to a good state school in Manchester as I move up there with my job. Up to now we have brought them up bi-lingually in the French Lycee in London. This school has been terrific, its funded by the french government and is exactly the same as any state school in France, same budget per head etc.

But you'd be amazed, class sizes are over 30 but the results are out of this world and in fact its the best performing school in the french league tables. Discipline is very good which half the reason for the success.

On the food front the kids love it, yes once a week theres pizza or chips or something but the rest of the time its excellent, having seen the menu I'd eat there myself. The kids love it and the teachers make sure they eat and drink properly during meals.

I am sure their budget must be more than 40p per head but there are 3,000 children there so the argument that you can't do good food in big schools is rubbish.

I suggest Tony and his cronies get down there and have a look.
Then again they may well be out of a job by then.

My child has now grown up and is in the process of planning to have children of her own someday soon. We were lucky enough to only live a short distance from her High School so she was able to come home for her lunches most days but on the days she did have to stay it was always pizza and chips etc. Jacket potatoes were on the menu but there never seemed to be enough of them cooked, so it was generally rubbish or go without.

I have watched with interest the Jamie Oliver programs and believe it to be a really great idea that someone has actually decided to say at last enough!! Lets give the kids some good food to eat to see them through the learning day. Its a well know fact that the brain thrives on good food better than it does on junk.

When my grandchildren finally do come along, hopefully they at last should be well catered for!!

50p a meal is not enough. The govenment should give a larger allowance, no wonder there are so many children who suffer with obesity. The school meals that that were prepared in the 1960's was healthy and nourishing. No fast food which is high in fat contet. No wonder children are so fussy with regards to food.

My son complains about the dinners he has at his school after watching Jamie I feel positive that it should become a national change for our children to eat good, nutrional food in school instead of the food currently provided which is causing obesity in children, it really in not good enough. It has to change for now I am taking my child out of school dinners and I will provide a packed lunch instead

In reply to your comments about the cost of school meals per week! The cost per child per week is B#7.50, part of this cost goes to the catering company to pay staff wages (which are disgraceful!!) and part to finance utility bills. School cooks are often up in arms about the rubbish they have to 'dish' up but until now no-one has listened! So please do not blame the cooks/dinner ladies, blame the Government and Council Catering Companies.

because of the way of life nowadays for some familys the only proper meal there kids get is there school meal this could be due to both parents working long hours and the childminder giving the kids tea or down to low income where familys can not afford to give there children freash foods every day and also down to poor education on the value of fresh food i also think it is vitally important that our children learn the value of eating sensible in a hard truthful manner

I started teaching in 1974 and school meals were then cooked from basic ingredients, on the school premises. these were fantastic meals and all the staff ate school dinners almost every day. Move on a few years - cooks not allowed to cook to their recipes but told exactly what to make and how to do it, result school dinner take-up dropped, children and teaching staff bringing packed lunches. So they lost income and decided to 'copy' the fast food meals many children enjoyed at home.Now we are back to square one, with cooks being asked to cook proper meals again.

Well done Jamie. Maybe now there should be a series called "Home Dinners" that can teach some mothers how to cook properly for their children. Theres too much convenience food on the market today. I know it fits in with our busy lifestyles but it seems today not many women are prepared to cool their children a meal from scratch as they dont know how to. Therefore children are being fed the disgusting excuse for food sold in places like farmfoods and its not fair. Products that claim to be chicken have probably no chicken in them at all. Its so much cheaoer to cook from scratch aswell, I know its a bit more time consuming but I would rather peel veg for 10 mins than eat some processed microwave meal that isn't even fit for a dog.

Ilike your style