Jamie sets out school dinner manifesto

A manifesto for transforming school meals is launched today by TV chef Jamie Oliver.

In it, he tells the Government to spend more money on school food, teach children how to cook, and pay dinner ladies more.

Oliver developed his five-point "manifesto for change" while working at Kidbrooke School in Greenwich, for his new Channel 4 TV series, Jamie's School Dinners.

He was inspired to help Greenwich Council after finding that teenagers applying to train at his restaurant, 15, knew nothing about food. Oliver said: "Many of the kids can tell you about drugs but don't know what celery or courgettes taste like."

He said cookery must be part of the curriculum and the state should increase the budget for each school meal from 35p to 50p.

His manifesto also says: "Invest in dinner ladies - they're some of the most important workers in the country today." Oliver met Education Secretary Ruth Kelly this month to urge her to set legal nutrition standards for school food.

Jamie's School Dinners begins on 23 February at 9pm.