Culinary schools and students in limbo during Covid-19 pandemic
Unlike many learning institutions, culinary schools cannot adapt easily to online classes—far too much hands-on kitchen study, not to mention the sensory and tactile training involved. Then there are more practical setbacks: “Most of our students aren’t properly equipped for home study in terms of kitchen equipment, or even access to a kitchen where multiple roommates might be involved,” Lachlan Sands, the campus president for the Institute of Culinary Education, told Eater. Even after schools reopen, local and federal guidelines must be adhered to—including reducing class sizes and other food-safety measures—and tuitions aren’t likely to get any lower, despite job instability across the restaurant industry.
