Seafood project in schools goes nationwide

Seafood in Schools has been operating for the past year in ten school clusters around the country (secondary schools and their associated primaries) and the roll-out will see it developed with twenty clusters per year, reaching an annual potential of 60,000 pupils. The programme teaches children about Scottish seafood; where it comes from, how it reaches our plates, and why eating seafood is good for us. It is a partnership project with the Scottish seafood industry supply chain, which encourages teachers at primary and secondary level to use seafood as a context for interdisciplinary learning. Local partnerships allow pupils to interact and learn from fishermen/fish and shellfish farmers, processors, retailers and caterers, and ensure that the project has longevity beyond the period of the funding. Schools are encouraged to visit ports, fish farms and seafood companies, and to invite guest speakers to take part in workshops and other events. "We are delighted the Scottish Government is supporting this programme, which will see a host of activities taking place in schools over the next three years. Support has also been secured from Seafish and the Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation. " Examples from the pilot project include fish cookery/tasting sessions, recipe development using under-utilised species, geography projects looking at food miles, history classes examining the importance of Scotland's seafood heritage, and art departments creating an undersea world," explained project manager Nicki Holmyard. "We will also be collaborating closely with other education providers including the Royal Highland Education Trust, Soil Association, Eco Schools, and the Scottish Food and Drink Federation's 'A Future in Food' programme. We believe that a strategic partnership approach will improve the delivery of food education through Curriculum for Excellence and look forward to strengthening our ties with them." Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead added: "It is so important that young people in Scotland understand more about where the food on their plate comes from, and what it means for their health and the environment. Therefore I'm delighted that the Seafood in Scotland programme is to go nationwide. "Pupils the length and breadth of the country will be given opportunities to learn about the fantastic seafood available in Scotland, how it is caught and produced – as well as the benefits of making seafood a healthy and delicious part of their diet. "Partnerships with local companies and individuals will take learning beyond the classroom, as young people get the chance to experience life in the fishing and aquaculture industries. I would encourage as many businesses as possible to get involved, including fishermen, fish farmers, processing and ports." A website has been created - www.seafoodinschools.org - where schools can sign up to take part in the project. It hosts a wide variety of downloadable teaching materials and information including photos, video, posters and narrative for each of six sectors (pelagic, whitefish, shellfish, salmon, trout and mussels & oysters), which tell the story of fish/shellfish from sea to plate and are used in classrooms both as a discussion point and inspiration for projects.