By Gifty Xornam Adonoo
Rosharon Montessori School in Tema Community 12 recently ignited the culinary talents of its JHS 2 pupils with a spirited cooking competition. This event was part of the Career Technology Education program introduced by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to enhance the appeal of technical and vocational subjects in basic schools. The Career Technology Common Core Programme Curriculum, a recent addition by GES, aims to harmonize learning across classrooms, workshops, laboratories, and communities to foster effective career skills acquisition. This curriculum is being studied by students in basic levels 7 to 10 throughout the country.
The cooking competition specifically targeted basic 7 and 8 pupils, providing them with hands-on training and assessment in the vocational aspect of the Career Tech Programme. The students were divided into six groups and each group balloted the meals to prepare. The six groups were to prepare a full meal, starting from starters to the desserts.
The first group picked waakye with all its accompaniments, the second group picked Banku and Okro stew plus grilled tilapia pepper, and the third was to prepare fufu with goat light soup and chicken light soup. The fourth group picked jollof rice while the fifth group prepared fried rice and the six group ampesi with kontomire and garden egg stew. All dishes were to be prepared from scratch in the school.
Teachers from various subjects supervised the six groups of ten pupils each as they prepared a diverse array of dishes, including waakye, fried rice, ampesi, banku and okro stew, grilled tilapia, fufu, chicken or goat light soup, and jollof rice, among others. The challenge involved creating a full-course meal with a starter, appetizer, main course, and dessert. Samuel Donkor, the Career Tech Teacher, expressed the program’s purpose: “We decided to organize this program to introduce kids to food preparation, harnessing their talents for the future. He encouraged parents to ‘’let’s engage our children in the kitchen to help them grasp the basics of cooking, especially local delicacies.” Mr. Donkor encouraged parents to involve their children in cooking activities, emphasizing the importance of practical knowledge in food preparation. Teachers who acted as supervisors of the groups also shared their insights: “All the children came together to make this a success. Even though most of them didn’t know how to cook initially, they performed well thanks to teamwork and support from friends who sponsored items,” one teacher said. Another teacher added, “Some of them observed, shared ideas, and learned a lot. We are grateful to the parents who provided psychological and physical support to the children. “Parents who witnessed their children exhibit their culinary skills were delighted by the event’s ability to bring parents together. They advocated for more such cooking competitions, both at home and at school. One parent expressed, “This activity is excellent, and I encourage the school to organize it more often. After school, children have homework and weekend classes, leaving little time for kitchen activities. Organizing this activity at least twice a term would be beneficial. The school is doing exceptionally well, and initiatives like these will promote the school further.”
The participating pupils showcased their excitement at the opportunity to exhibit their skills. For those who were unfamiliar with cooking, it was a valuable learning experience, while those already skilled took the chance to demonstrate their prowess to peers and teachers.
One student, shared, “This is a fantastic activity for us students because it allows us to showcase our talents. Thanks to the teachers for organizing this. We’ve learned things we couldn’t do at home. This task taught us teamwork and how enjoyable cooking can be with friends.”
The competition’s judges commended the students for their efforts and encouraged them to explore local dishes further in their future exhibitions. “Many of them cooked what they liked rather than what would earn them marks, but overall, they did exceptionally well, especially considering they were beginners working in groups,” said one judge.
“I would advise them to delve deeper into local dishes.”
In the end, Group six emerged as the winners, impressing the judges with their preparation of ampesi with kontomire and garden egg stew.
The jollof rice group secured second place, and the fufu and goat light soup group claimed the third position.
