After seeing the article on teaching school children to cook, I felt I had to write in with my experience.

This could be a good idea, if the schools follow the lead of previous generations.

In the 1960s I was taught the basics of cooking good staple food and food hygiene. My sons were taught home economics, including food values and, again, basic good cooking.

When my grandson started secondary school I was please to see cookery was on his subject list.

However, among his first recipes were "blue cheese dip" and "feta and olive salad".

What use is this? How many parents would consider these to be part of their normal menu? How much use will they be to the young man when he is living on his own for the first time, probably on a low income?

How many parents will be happy to pay for fancy ingredients that their children can mess around with and then throw away rather than carry the results home?

Yes, please, teach young people to cook healthy, economical meals, but not pretentious delicacies that may put them off the idea for life.

Katrina Lamb, Leeside, Dringhouses, York.