AIBU to think that we need traditional home economics lessons to return?

[applesauce1]

My Gran taught home economics. She taught children how to properly budget, to plan meals for the week, and to shop and budget for that, how often to change bedding and how to launder clothes properly. She basically taught 'home making'. Maybe the fault with this is that it was only taught to girls. I believe that it was pretty much scrapped in favour of food technology.

Do you think that fewer young people today have these skills? I've met young people who tell me they can't boil an egg or make toast (a hyperbole, I'm sure?), or have the latest phone on an expensive contract, while simultaneously struggling at the end of the month, and I don't really know what to suggest.

Would it be very unreasonable to wonder whether for some of the millennial generation, differentiating between needs and wants as a result of not being taught budgeting has set that generation up for financial struggles? Obviously, for many, wages are far too low, but in lieu of that being addressed, do you think being denied these essential life lessons in school, young people find it more difficult to balance the lot they are being dealt by the powers that be? Should traditional home economics be brought back or is it an antiquated lesson structure that we're well shot of?

disclaimer not everyone who struggled financially has the latest phone, that was an anecdotal example of what caused me to wonder about this issue.

[Foxyloxy1plus1]

There was a time when the curriculum was far more flexible than it is now. That allowed for vocational subjects and certainly all the things described would be appropriate in that context.

The trouble is that the curriculum is so prescriptive now and schools depend on increasingly good academic results for their survival. Things that are useful life skills just don't figure any more, because there's no curriculum space.

Having said that, I think there are many skills that children absorb at home, whether explicitly taught or not. I do realise that not all parents will be teaching their children how to do household tasks, but I think that many have an expectation that they will tidy their rooms, put away washing, help to bake cakes, wash up and so on.

[Dawndonnaagain]

I went to a very progressive school in the early seventies. Our home economics were taught over three terms, each year and consisted of budgeting, shopping, cooking (from scratch), making menus, darning, sewing, knitting. It also included interview techniques, social skills, sex education (which included how to say no, where to get the pill and the number of what was then the brook advisory clinic). So, no need to give up Shakespeare!

[CateGory8]

Titanias Like you my Mother died when I was young and I have vague memories of her being a terrible cook. My Dad didn't know how to do anything other than fried breakfasts. I luckily had home economics lessons at school (late 70's/early 80's) which really gave my some basic skills. I learnt how to make bread, white sauces, gravy, pasta sauces and of course cakes. I still make my own bread and I cook from scratch most of the time.

My Dad taught me DIY but I would have loved to have information available for things like laundry, housekeeping and money management.

[Graphista]

Titanias some councils do offer 'healthy eating' courses that include basic cooking classes, ask your council.

If you consider when 'proper' cookery lessons stopped and when we started getting problems with child obesity there is a rough correlation (yes I know correlation doesn't prove causation and that's not the whole story I think common sense lets us realise it's a factor).

Ditto the increase in food waste, popularity of takeaways and debt I think is not unrelated.

As for schools couldn't fit it into timetables - why not when it was done in the past? I went to high school on the 80's and did the following subjects

Maths - financial education can be included here
English
Biology - nutritional education here
Chemistry - little more nutritional ed here
Physics
History
Geography
Sociology
French
German
RE
PSE - this included sex ed, rights and responsibilities,
PE
Home economics - included cookery basic cheap nutritional dishes like soups, lasagne (including pomodoro and bechamel sauce from scratch), cottage pie, 'normal' pies, curry, stew/casserole, basic cake recipes (sponge, scones, flapjacks), budgeting, meal planning.

Textiles - we all had to make a skirt and yes girls only then but in the process of making a skirt we learnt how to fit a zip, sew on a button, do a hem...

We just didn't do all of them every term eg a different science per term, or switching at half term, then at end of 3rd year we selected options according to what exams we wanted to sit.

Yes ideally parents should be teaching but I'm certainly aware of too many parents who would have been teens in the 90's when home ec was done away with in many schools, who can't cook can't make even a basic sauce even from a dried packet! So as they don't have the skills they can't teach THEIR children.

It may not be right but it's where we are and as the consequences affect our economy and health as a society it's all of our
Problem.

I do think that one thing that HAS to come from parents is not STOPPING children from doing things at home. It's honestly not going to kill high school age children to boil kettles, use hobs, ovens and sharp knives yet I hear so much about children my daughters age (almost 16! So in theory almost old enough to be mothers!) not being allowed to even make a cuppa in case they hurt themselves. Ridiculous!

[sashh]

I wonder how it worked in the past when my Gran was a teachers

Depending on age she might have been teaching girls who would leave school at 14 or 15 and who were being trained to be mothers and wives.

Nowadays we expect girls to have a career.

Also parents don't want this, they want their child to come out of school with a string of exam results, the school has to play the results game too.

You won't get an ofsted outstanding by teaching cooking.

Education is about results, and until things change so none GCSE subjects are valued schools are not able to facilitate it.

BTW we used to have a bank come in and tell us how to write cheques, probably one of the more useful, although now obsolete, things I learned.

[Crumbs1]

What stops parents having this responsibility?

[EB123]

I think the ability to cook some basics is so important and should absolutely be taught. It should come from home ideally but often through lack of time, lack of knowledge or whatever it isn't happening.

My boys have been involved with cooking with me from really tiny and not just baking the obvious fairy cakes. Tonight my 6 year old (with supervision)made the white sauce for our lasagne and he was so proud. It's really important to me that they are able to make a basic meals.

[WhooooAmI24601]

I teach in a primary school and also run several cookery clubs. I love seeing children learn to cook, to use their maths knowledge to weigh out ingredients, to use their english to understand recipes, to work as a team and feel good about what they've created, to understand nutrition and not just this god-awful 'good' food and 'bad' food nonsense some have their heads filled with. To teach them about what their bodies biologically need to survive and thrive, to find ways around allergies, intolerances and dislikes, to teach them that skills like these are enjoyable rather than a chore.

However, my opinion is that stuff like this starts at home. Since the DCs could stand they've been at the kitchen worktop with me helping to prep meals and bake. They've known how to safely use kitchen equipment and to keep themselves safe; DS1 (11) can do basics and can cook a roast dinner but doesn't love to cook. DS2 made a pavlova over christmas and reads cookery books in his bed (he's 6). Parents need to do more of this with their children long-term to ensure they have all the survival skills needed for adulthood. With so much to teach every day, schools are limited in what they can cram into the curriculum. Supporting it at home makes so much sense.

[orangeyellowgreen]

Out of a class of 30 there would be 10 vegetarians, 3 vegans, 5 with allergies, 4 gluten-free, 2 dairy-free, 4 with autism who only eat beige, 15 overweight who shouldn't eat sugar and 7 who have other special dietary needs.
The days are gone when everybody cooked and ate rock cakes.

[glueandstick]

Home Ec taught us how to make a basic dinner party and a white sauce. I still bring it out when I can't think think of anything else to do.

Fond memories

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Orange I asked dd about that and she said 'Miss just tells them to use different ingredients or make it for someone else in their family.' I don't think it's a barrier at all tbh.

[lapsedorienteerer]

YANBU at all, I'm proud to admit I have a BSc Hons in Home Economics ...at times other have described it as a 'basket weaving' degree...

[Fuxfurforall]

Can't parents teach their kids how to use a washing machine, cook a simple nutritious meal, iron clothes and budget money if they don't learn it elsewhere? My kids learn/ have learned some of this at school but no one ever taught me and I am 53. I had regular Home Economics lessons at school way back then - we learned how to make a cup of tea, bake cheese straws and make pastry. In contrast, my 14 year old daughter learns all about nutrition, cooking family meals and budgeting money.My older sons didn't - they learned from me.

[IonaNE]

YABU. School should not take over the role of home/parents.

[Noodledoodledoo]

I do cover financial stuff within my maths lessons when appropriate, linked into interest, compound and simple. I am always shocked I am having to explain to mid teens what a mortgage is - I really wonder what parents talk about with students in terms of general life stuff.

I am shocked at how few have a a bank account, let alone have any idea how the banking system works. I teach in a ver nice middle class area were a lot of the parents commute into London - we are not talking of parents who don't have bank acocunts themselves!

I have done separate mini topics on general costs of living scenarios and am shocked at the students understanding of the costs of things or basic living expenses. I understood how this all worked and rough costs as my parents had conversations about such things at dinner times.

As for cooking - I learnt nothing in my HE lessons as my mum and dad taught me to cook.

I also run a Guide unit and the skills of 10 year olds has rapidly declined in the past 20 year I have done it - parents who have come in to help have admitted to me that they don't let their kids into the kitchen as its too dangerous - then send them to camp and we make them cook on open fire!!

[MiddlingMum]

Unfortunately a lot of parents can't or won't pass skills on. So we have 12 year olds who can't iron or make a cup of tea, never mind preparing a whole meal. It's a huge shame and it's going to get worse.

Recently I was sewing some buttons on to a shirt. A woman aged about 24 saw me doing it and said "That's clever."