Although it's a crying shame that home ec isn't offered anymore, I can honestly say I didn't learn much from the class when I took it, and remember less than that. And while my mother sewed/sews, I can't say that I learned much from her, as I have pretty much taught myself. Also, I've seen a resurgence of interest in sewing, so I don't think it's a "dying art" ... to the contrary I think it's making a comeback. Shows like Project Runway (which I've never watched myself) are garnering interest in sewing again.
All is not lost. :-) I think every generation thinks the younger generations are screwing up everything ... but eventually we all get "on board" and figure things out, for the most part.