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This post is spun off/a continuation of my other post ("Consider This") about redesigning the food stamp program. In "Consider This", folks voiced the concern that many food stamp recipients don't know how to cook fresh foods, and many don't know how to properly store them. It is also a concern that Americans in general don't know how to budget.
So, as part II to "Consider This;", I'll ask you to, well..."Consider This:"
Why don't we make successful completion of a year-long home economics class a requirement for high school graduation? Of all the things we teach in schools, we aren't teaching kids how to balance a budget, shop wisely, cook and store food? I consider this far more important than algebra, yet algebra is a requirement for graduation in Ohio, and home economics is not.
Truly, common sense isn't so common anymore. And with so many parents working evenings, or working two jobs, how many American teenagers aren't being taught how to cook and manage finances?
What do you think? Home ec a requirement in high school: yay or nay?
Replies
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I'd rather see that than a class for putting a condom on a cucumber.
Yes, young women AND men should be taught these skills!
As homeschoolers, after the three Rs, we have really hit on homemaking skills.
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LOL My daughter took Home Ec last year. They made pancakes from Krusteaz mix. :-/
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Yay.
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The school system only has 12 years, after teaching sharing and community studies, woman's rights studies, white European aggression, African American studies, the proper role of Government control in out lives, income redistribution and protesting, not alot of time left for the basics.
Quoting Donna6503:
I wish every time; I go to a store, and the products I buy, ring up to say $11.37 and I hand the person a twenty dollar bill, a dime, and two pennies. I just wish I wasn't given a look of major confusion by the person.
I wish the school would teach a basic understanding of the practical matters of money, commerce, and business, before, they would get too fancy with a year of home economics and all its subjective material into that topic.
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I took home ec in middle school and in theory this is how it was supposed to be. The emphasis was on budgeting, decision making, nutrition,food storage etc. I took it in 7th grade but think it would be best to teach it closer to graduation maybe students would pay more attention because the real world seems a lot closer. I remember being taught to never leave your turkey to thaw anywhere other than the refrigerator and to use water instead of milk to make scrambled eggs because it's less fatty.
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It used to be an offered class and something taken as an elective.
It hasn't been in many years and generally due to cost for a given district. At least here in Arizona.
I've always felt it should have stayed as a class and more than an elective. An actual required class. Add to this, a required class on how to balance a budget, pay bills, good credit standings, how to NOT live outside of your means, etc.
If nothing more, a home ec class can teach kids how to do things on their own like cooking, cleaning, sewing a button, etc. Many parents do not teach these things at home.
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yay!!! I should be a requirement, not only cooking but doing laundry, balancing a check book, opening a bank acct and paying bills. It should also be required not just for girls but boys too. Mommy isn't always going to be there to make their meal or wash their clothes.
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Quoting Lizardannie1966:
It used to be an offered class and something taken as an elective.
It hasn't been in many years and generally due to cost for a given district. At least here in Arizona.
I've always felt it should have stayed as a class and more than an elective. An actual required class. Add to this, a required class on how to balance a budget, pay bills, good credit standings, how to NOT live outside of your means, etc.
If nothing more, a home ec class can teach kids how to do things on their own like cooking, cleaning, sewing a button, etc. Many parents do not teach these things at home.
I worked for 3 years in the registrar office of a large community college. I had college students come to me who couldn't address an envelope or fill out a check. I handled transcript requests and these were necessary steps in the process. Obviously we also registered students for classes. It is no exaggeration to say 90% ( I'm guessing low) of students who came in, put a course offering book on the counter and told me what they needed. They expected me and other staff, to make their schedule for them. For example, make all the times fit together and get the courses they needed. They would tie up the line and carry on if they had to stay too late, come on Fridays, didn't have a long enough gap or had too long of a gap, etc. It never occurred to them to do it themselves they expected us to do it for them. They expected to be catered to. They were too lazy to take the time to do it themselves or they didn't have the patience for it or some of them struggled to do it themselves. I often wondered how they got through their course work.
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I can see agreeing to this.
Back in the day, we had home ec and it was indeed helpful. The guys and the girls did the same things in the class. It wasn't about who can cook eggs the best or sew the best wrap around skirt. There was much there to be learned.
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Yes, when I was in school....back in the 1950's.....Home Ec was a year long class and a requirement. Half year of cooking and nutrition ( imagine that--nutrition) and a half year on sewing and home decorating .EVERYONE had to take it to graduate. We had to take a language too.....