Now Gary Lineker takes a pop at the Government for not teaching children to cook at school

Gary Lineker has hit out at the government once again - this time for not teaching children to cook at school.

He says that pupils are being 'failed' by the lack of food lessons - and even says that for some it is more important than learning maths.

Admitting he had wished he had spent more time in the kitchen as a youngster, he told River Cafe Ruth Rogers on her Table 4 podcast, Lineker, 63, said: 'I wish I had and I think that's thing we fail our kids on, I think it should be an absolutely must learn at school.

'They used to offer it all of the time and you can still do a bit of cooking at school but it's a life skill.

'You can be really passionate about it, rather than making kids that are not good very good at maths learn maths - yes you've got to learn your basic numbers - and reading is really important but the next things after those two is cooking.

'It's the one thing we all do forever, is eat'.

Gary Lineker says that pupils are being 'failed' by the lack of food lessons - and even says that for some it is more important than learning maths

Meanwhile, Lineker says he would have been 'ashamed of himself' if he hadn't publicly criticised the government's policy on asylum seekers.

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BBC star Gary Lineker says critics of his political views and online posts have a 'lack of empathy' and says he will carry on because he would be 'ashamed' to stay quiet

The television presenter was taken off air for one episode of Match of the Day last March after he compared MPs' language to that of Nazi Germany.

But said: 'People say you should stay out of politics but I don't see them just as political issues I think it's humanitarian issues that I take a stand for.

'I think I have changed as a person as I have got older. When I was young I was cold and driven. I never thought about things like that. What changed for me was social media because I got onto Twitter, I quite enjoyed it, I grew a big following.

'If you have a platform like that, I think what a shame not to use it for what I think is a power for good. I have always felt quite strongly about human beings not being kind enough to one another everywhere, particularly this kind of tribality that we have.

'It's them and us, they're foreigners and they are coming here. We need people coming from all parts of the world.

'Put yourself in a situation, say it was London and we are being bombed like they are in Gaza, that kind of situation.

The former footballer admitted to Ruth Rogers that he wished he had spent more time in the kitchen as a youngster

'Imagine you had to try somehow to flee home and you jumped in a very risky boat and you travel round half the world and you arrive in a country and nobody wants you.

'No country can have everybody. You have to have a various way, but have some safe routes. 'But is the lack of empathy I find hard to believe. 

Imagine how desperate things have to be to jump in a dinghy and risk your life and the life of your children to seek sanctuary somewhere and then not be well received.

'I find it hard to understand and I think it's incomprehensible. I understand some people don't have any empathy for anyone. I would have been ashamed of myself if I didn't at least take a stance about something I feel quite strongly about.'

After the BBC decided he would step back from the show after huge public backlash, co-stars including Ian Wright and Alex Scott also refused to work.

Click here to listen to Ruth Rogers's interview with Lineker on the Table 4 podcast