Bring Back Home Economics Classes in School

July 17, 2012 by Karen Lee 15 Comments

I’ve been thinking how kids these days don’t know the basics of home keeping.

I mean, they don’t know how to cook (microwaving Bagel Bites doesn’t count), hem a pair of pants (duck tape, anyone?) or know the difference between an incandescent and a CFL lightbulb (incandescent lightbulbs will be phased out and I can see kids frantically looking for them all over town, thinking, “how can all the stores be out of them?”)

This question reminds me of the book I reviewed, “How to Sew a Button” by Erin Bried, in which the author baked a pie, using a wrong key ingredient, totally ruining it. After that embarrassing moment, she recognized how she knew nothing about basic things in life that her grandmother knew, like how to sew a button. And she wondered ‘why’?

I know the reason why.

There are no “Home Economics” classes in schools anymore

My kids never had them. And I assume they are not the only ones in the country that didn’t have a choice. Oh, mind you, my DD takes Yoga and Taichi at school, which I’m thrilled about, but they aren’t Home Ec. Nope. I had to teach her how to hand-stitch a tear in her shirt (ok, so it looked more like a spider web made its way into the tear but at least she knows the concept now) and I taught my son how to sew a button before sending him off to college with a sewing kit I put together in an Altoid tin. Have you ever try finding a gender neutral colored sewing kit? Doesn’t exist.

Granted, I didn’t learn everything I know about home keeping from Home Ec when I had it in Middle School but the class taught me to think about life in a different light. I learned how to make Engish Muffin Bagels. I also learned the difference between a fluid oz. and a weight oz. I learned how to follow recipes. I already knew how to sew but learned how to use a pattern to sew. I made a skirt, a vest and a shirt using Simplicity sewing patterns. Not only did I learn, my brothers also learned how to sew and cook since they had to take Home Ec too back then. They also took woodworking and ceramics.

It seems to me, the emphasis on taking tests, raising test scores for English and math along with trying to emphasize sciences that they have replaced the teachings of fundamentals of how to live in schools. The theoretical teachings of life sciences have pushed out sciences of actual living. Yes, we need more scientists and mathematicians. Yes, we need more engineers and researchers. And yes, we need more teachers and doctors. But when these smart successful young men and women grow up in a society where they know nothing to take care of themselves, what kind of environment are we going to be left with? Our kids will need to make so much money to hire people to do the basic fundamental chores like cooking, cleaning, mending clothes to changing light bulbs. Our resources will be depleted and our kids will not know the basics on how to live with minimal. They will not know how to cook from scratch and avoid processed foods. They will continue to buy cheap clothes because they don’t know how to mend the old ones.

Won’t kids live greener lives if they took Home Economics in schools?

I know we, the parents, have the responsibility to teach our kids but how many of you know enough to teach your kids? How many of your kids are willing to learn from you? I know, ultimately, it’s up to us to teach and nurture our kids and believe me, I’m not one to leave it to schools to teach them everything but don’t they have the responsibility to introduce concepts that we received when we went to school? Did Home Ec changed so much that it’s not teachable anymore? Is computer science more important than learning how to survive?

I’m preparing to explore this issue further so I wanted to open up the conversation and hear your opinion.

What do you think? Do you think lack of Home Economics classes in schools have changed the way we live today?
Don’t you think if people had taken Home Ec, they would live greener lives?
Did you take Home Ec? If you didn’t, do you wish you had?

Second Image: Smithsonian via Flickr
Disclaimer: I’m an affiliate of Craftsy

Filed Under: Simple Living Tagged With: Children

15 comments

Newest | Oldest

Krisha

Hi there! I read this post with great interest this summer. I think you are right - home ecocnmics is an important , but negelcted subject. I live in Oslo, Norway where the public schools do offer a scaled down homeec class to 6th graders. My soon came home from his first class very motivated as you can see: http://recyclingmama.squarespace.com/home/2012/9/29/home-economics.html As a psychiatrist I also think that our kids needs to learn basic skills in order to feel capable and less alienated. Have a great week!

Myra

I'm not sure why this post didn't jump out at me before. I remember taking Home Ec in middle school in Puerto Rico and being a member of AJED (FHOA - Future Homemakers of America). I learned the fundamentals of running a household in HE. We even learned create a household budget - a skill that many adults nowadays don't have. As a single mom, I run a tight ship and I like to think that Home Ec helped me already have a fraction of what I need to know figured out - how to cook, clean, sew, bake, and run a household. Kids nowadays don't have a clue.

Beah

I fully agree with you. I did not have this type of class, but I wish I had. I learnt to cook with my mother, who is a very good cook, and also learned to live on a budget, but for instance I would have liked to learn to sort and keep papers simply, it is still a nightmare for me.

Kanelstrand

I don't expect the school to teach children about home economics. My family taught me everything I know and now I am trying to pass the knowledge to my offspring. They have something similar to Home Ec in Norwegian schools but I don't put to high hopes on it, especially on the cooking part. Otherwise, they taught them to sew, knit and also some woodworking, which is a beautiful addition to what we're doing at home. But I wouldn't count on it being the sole source of knowledge for future life. What are families for, then?

Tatiana Yates

Not all families are the same. Many parents have poor home-making skills. Many parents are unable to teach their offspring for a variety of reasons - they may not get along with their children, or they have very demanding jobs or 2 jobs and haven't the time.

Linda Weeks

You're so right. I suppose the emphasis on science and math skills superseded the need to know how to cook and sew. I remember doing a lousy job in home ec. myself, and I've long regretted that I wasn't a better student in that class! It was fun, though, and a lot of that class is still used in my household on a daily basis!

Solar Garden Lights

About a couple of decades ago, we had Practical Arts and Economics, where the former taught us to make simple art decor, using the materials available in our school bag, or as per item prescribed by our art teacher. Economics taught us the "thrifty" stuff when at home or at school. Both were good practices in eco-saving measures. Nowadays, home economics as it is known now, isn't even part of the basic curriculum for the modern 12k. Depressing.

Tatiana Yates

The Home Economics requirement for an academic High School Diploma was being phased out the year before I graduated from High School (1948). At that time, there was a general diploma and an academic diploma. The general diploma requirement had all the basic life skills - money management, housekeeping, sewing, cooking etc. and the boys learned how to farm, build things, automobile and engine repair. The academic diploma required one course in one of these practical subjects. I took sewing on my own in summer session after I graduated from High School. It was a wonderful course and I have often used what I learned to make clothing for me and my family since then. My family was always food-oriented and we all taught ourselves our cooking skills. Not everyone is academically inclined. We need people who can do practical things and we need vocational education for those who will do them. New York State has (had?) a BOCEES program that was marvelous and was perfect for non-academic teens to learn all sorts of practical and necessary skills. I don't know where I would send a child who wanted to learn plumbing, car repair, sewing, house-cleaning, etc. I have tried, unsuccessfully, to teach my grandchildren to cook and sew. One grandson, who is now 22, is finally showing interest in cooking - but that is about it. The schools are in such a depressed state, I don't know that they will be able to teach anyone anything right now. My daughter just came in - she says she wishes she had had to take at least one semester of home economics - learn to balance a checkbook, hem pants, realize that sugar can burn. She's a very successful film-maker; I do the cooking; her husband does the finances. So, there you are!

The Wooden Bee

I agree. I think it is sad they aren't offered anymore. I taught myself how to cook. I don't know what my mother was doing (chuckle), but she knows how to sew and cook and my sister & I weren't taught. My grandmother taught me how to sew on a button and cross stitch, and now this summer with her old sewing machine, my six year old daugher and myself are learning how to sew together! :)

Jeannette James

G'day all from Australia, In the state of NSW, "home economics or Home Science" was phased out during the 1990's and a new KLA (key learning area) now is studied in High/secondary schools. Students take a mandatory course of Technology and Applied studies in Junior High- there are a few context areas to choose from including Food technology, Agriculture and woodwork. Depending on the school offering the subjects, students can select an elective during the senior years. At my school we offer Food Technology and Hospitality. Design and Technology is also offered where students are able to make a "major project". Some girls choose to design a garment. It is a shame students are not exposed to more continuous "lifestyle" courses throughout their time at school. One, most students love it and two it offers practical, life long, authentic learning experiences that they may not have exposure too during fast paced family lives and/or lack of skills from the home station :) Home economics/food can be an expensive subject to run (building + maintaining kitchens) and stocking the kitchens for 3-5 prac classes a day. However, it is a subject most families would endorse I feel. Here is a link to my Year 11 Food tech class blog. Slowly being built :) http://foodtechnologylearningjourney.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/social-networks-and-mobile-technology.html

Home economics has been updated and is now called family and consumer sciences. See the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences website for more information at www.aafcs.org. You may see courses called independent or teen living, lifeskills, human development, culinary arts and several others. Unfortunately, when budgets are tight, these courses are often the first to go. It can be expensive to keep foods and textile labs up to date and maintained. If you are interested in seeing these courses in your local schools, connect with parents and students in your community and contact your local school superintendent about this need. These classes give students the opportunity to readily apply the information they learn in very tangible ways.

Laura

Well, I guess I should feel fortunate. Where I live in Canada, my kids have 3 years in Middle School of a class called TPA, or Technical and Practical Arts. Each year, they have 10 weeks each of Sewing, Cooking, Woodworking, and Computer skills. It's pretty basic, but it sounds like a lot more than a lot of places. I do feel though, that we leave too much to schools, and don't teach our kids enough basic life skills at home. I'm thinking of things like basic manners and respect for others. I would prefer coworkers with basic people skills before ones who know how to sew on a button any day!

Colleen

I was just researching whether most students take home ec anymore, and it appears like the answer is a decided NO. I know I didn't. I am 30 years old, and now have 2 kids and wish it were even an option when I was younger. I'm pretty sure there was no opportunity to learn sewing, cooking, etc. in my school... I believe some students were shipped off campus somewhere to Vo-tech, and I'm not even sure what they did there, but this was maybe 1% of students. At the time, I'm sure I would not have realized the importance of these skills, anyway, but now I wish I had. I have picked up a bit about cooking through the years and now can prepare a decently healthy and tasty meal most of the time, but I know that my first year out of college, if I wasn't eating take-out $5 hot-and-ready pizza, I was making pasta with plain jarred spaghetti sauce (which I think I even poured on, straight out of the jar... no heating first... figured it got hot enough when it hit the pasta!), or quesadillas (again, just cheese and tortilla, no veggies or chicken or anything). Those were the 2 things I could really make...sad, I know. I have a PhD in Neuroscience now, and I certainly appreciate all the advanced education I've had, but I really think there's something missing-- that most "smart" people my age don't appreciate basic living skills. Though I can design and assemble a very basic skirt (and that's it... haven't even tried anything with sleeves... they scare me!), I cannot follow a sewing pattern to save my life (it seems like an entirely different language) and am definitely afraid to hem my own pants (it seems very hard to do without seeing the stitches on the outside?). I do really wish I had aquired more basic, useful life skills, though from what I've read, the chances of bringing back home ec seem unlikely. I hope to instill some of these skills in my children as they get older... but I have to learn them first, and I'm still working on that!

Anny

I totally agree too! I would like that schools bring back home economics classes. As a mother, I know that many mothers don't know sewing.... and cooking....lol! Kids have to learn the basics of life. I even thought about offering courses on the dinner hour.

Alicia

I totally agree! I have a coworker that told me she recently tossed a short b/c the button fell off! I almost passed out! The next time it happened, she brought the shirt tot he office and I showed her at lunchtime how to fix it with the sewing kit I keep in my work bag for just such emergencies! It took me less than 5 minutes to explain and walk her through it. She was delighted and so proud of herself! Even if HomeEC classes don't come back there should be some mini seminars on life skills. Mending, cooking, cleaning, check book balancing, budgeting, etc. Parents can't teach you EVERYTHING! :) And i think at a certain age, it's easier for kids to learn from teachers and their peers!