HKDSEE English Language Paper 4 – Bring back compulsory cooking classes at school: Until we teach kids to cook rice, make a simple stir-fry or prepare a low-cost spaghetti bolognaise, people will continue to incorrectly believe, Singapore

Hong Kong Examinations And Assessment Authority Hong Kong Diploma Of Secondary Education Examination 2013:

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAPER 4

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

This paper consists of two parts: Part A, Group Interaction; and Part B, Individual Response. Part B will immediately follow Part A. DO NOT write anything on this page.

PART A Group Interaction

You will be given 10 minutes to prepare. The time allowed for the group interaction is 8 minutes (or 6 minutes for a group of 3 candidates). You may make notes on the notecard provided and refer to your notes during the discussion.

Bring back compulsory cooking classes at school 

Until we teach kids to cook rice, make a simple stir-fry or prepare a low-cost spaghetti bolognaise, people will continue to incorrectly believe that it’s cheaper to feed your kids at a fast food restaurant than to cook for them at home.

And with a whole generation of adults who weren’t taught how to cook, it’s time cooking was made compulsory for all high school students.

It is doubtful that parents really think their children are better off eating fast food than something they’ve cooked themselves, but if you don’t know how to cook, or you think you don’t have the time, the idea can be terrifying.

Dietician Julie Gilbert said many parents now are completely overwhelmed by the huge choice of food in our supermarkets. 

‘They are lost and confused,’ she said. ‘We have completely dc-skilled ourselves.’

Gilbert now has clients who have absolutely no idea how to prepare even the simplest of dishes, how the food groups work, or the vaguest notion of appropriate portion sizes.

There’s a happy place in between gourmet and fast food and the only place left to guarantee we continue to get there is our schools.

Your group wants to discuss if every secondary school in Hong Kong should have compulsory cooking classes. You may want to talk about:
• why young people usually do not know how to cook
• the benefits and problems of having compulsory cooking classes
• what should be taught in these classes
• anything else you think is important

PART B Individual Response The examiner will ask you one or more questions based on Part A. You will have up to 1 minute to respond