I had Home Ec in middle school, but I didn't learn any "life skills" that carried me forward. Yes, we sewed and we cooked, but it was only over the course of half the school year, maybe enough to spark interest, but not enough to develop any skills. My mom taught me how to cook (she didn't sew); we five kids cleaned, did laundry, helped with cooking, etc. I have four brothers and they left the house knowing how to cook and do laundry. My husband's sister has five kids (16-24 yrs old) and not a one of them does laundry, cleans, or knows their way around a kitchen. That, to me, is just a sin. While I think it's great to have Home Ec classes, I also think we shouldn't expect our kids to learn these skills at school.