Crawfordians challenge the stereotype ‘men can’t cook’ in cook-off

Crawford International Ruimsig’s Grade 10 learners are learning about gender equity in Life Orientation.

In their lessons, they have been discussing stereotypes and they decided to challenge the stereotype that “Men can’t cook”. Teacher Hoosen organised a cook-off, and the Grade 10 learners were divided into two teams, one for girls and one for boys.

Which team would win, the girls or the boys? It wasn’t just boys vs. girls, but also class vs. class – the four classes competed to see who would win in the Grade. Which group would prove to be most effective? Could the boys help their class reach the top, or will they perpetuate the stereotype that men can’t cook?

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To complete their challenge, each class was divided into four separate science labs. They brought everything, including the ingredients, small gas stoves, and pots, as well as the table décor, beverages, and cutlery. They would be graded on specific criteria and must keep this in mind when presenting overall. Some of the teachers served as judges for the day. Presentation, taste, cleanliness of the cooking area and creativity were among the criteria.

The Crawfordians worked extremely hard, and the positive energy they generated was contagious! Learners of all grades came to watch their classmates at work, and the competitors were in full ‘challenge mode’!

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It was time for the judges to sit down, taste, observe, critique, and write down their scores after experiencing the beautiful setups and table displays, professional plating, and explanations. They moved straight on to the next team, and the Grade 10’s quickly jumped in so they, too, could eat their delicious food after being graded!
So, who won the cook-Off? We begin with the overall champion class. In this class, one team received 84 points, while the other team received 79 points. This resulted in a total of 163 points (just half a point more than the runners-up!) The girls received 84 points, while the boys received 79!

Class 10.4 won the Best Class category. Class 10.2 finished in second place with a total of 162.5 points. This class’s winning team received 88 points (the highest in the grade), while the losing team received 74.5 points. This time, the boys received 88 points, while the girls received 74.5.

This means that the boys in 10.2 were the winners of the day for the girls vs boys competition and they carried their class to victory. The total scores for boys vs. girls were: boys 300 and girls 264 – this means that the boys were the overall winners, beating the girls by 36 points and proving that “Men Can Cook!”