Why do so many culinary school grads come out not knowing how to cook in a restaurant kitchen?

Is culinary school anything more than a money making scam? I am also a kitchen pro. But i didn't go to school for it. I started scrubbing pots when i was 15 years old, and just worked my way up. I really believe that if you really want to be a "chef," then the best place to learn is in a kitchen.

Public Comments

1. lack of work experience that's where all the real learning is done (aka "OJT" = On the Job Training). In most fields, not just cooking.
2. Culinary school will teach the basic skills such as knife work, names of sauces, names of cooking methods, etc. Every students learning experience is different while in school. Every school's cirriculum is different as well. Some are accredited, some are not. Some are more in depth to what they teach, others cover only the very basics. Also depends on how much the student understands what is being taught, how much experience the student has prior to going to school, etc. For the most part...actual working experience counts more in actual learning. Classes usually arent set up like restaurant kitchens esp with how they flow, etc. School, and a real kitchen are two different worlds, and a lot of students who have no prior experience are unaware of this fact. It takes years to learn what a chef knows, more than the 2 yrs spent in school, so for someone who goes to culinary school, and has never touched a pan in their life, school is the first building block their lifetime of education they will get in a real kitchen. Hope this helps.