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I took Home Ec in the 70s, too. I remember hating it! :) I already knew how to cook and sew, and it seemed that the teacher made it so much more complicated than it needed to be! I do agree, however, that a life skills course is needed in school--many students don't have the experience needed in the real world for planning, shopping, and preparing food; for basic sewing; for household budgeting; etc. It would, of course, be best learned at home as a real-world skill, but in many cases, that just doesn't happen.
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I agree with Scratchie and Angela. I'm not sure what high school teaches these days but many recent graduates seem to have no life skills whatsoever. I hope they have good jobs because the cost of either eating out or buying all prepared foods is astronomical.
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I have worked in a Texas High School for the past 12 years. In our state it wasn't really budget cuts that have eliminated Home Ec classes. In our state, it was the fact that with a state of this size we only have maybe one or two college grads each year who are certified to teach Home Ec. Our state requires all teachers to be highly qualified and certified to teach their classes. Since the odds are not in our favor to actually hire and keep a qualified teacher, we had no choice but to eliminate the classes.
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i guess it depends on the school district.
i went to school in the los angeles area. i took "home ec" in the 7th grade... sadly, all we did was read :( |
according to my daughter who lives in NE Maryland both boys and girls get terms for sewing at least (they usually make a pair of shorts). She didn't know about shop for my DGD so I "suggested" she might demand shop if she has any interest. In my time back in the mid sixties girls had home-ec, boys had shop no exceptions. I'm glad to see anything in the school that will teach life skills. It's pitiful how many can't make change without a cash register.
Joyce in DE |
67 and havn't had a class in cooking or sewing yet!
My kids had a year of something long the lines of domestic technology. one 9 wk. period of wood shop with some stained glass. 9 weeks of sewing. 9 wks of gardening and such. And I think the last 9 weeks was elective. Kid took "hunter safety" as her healt course. That was few years ago (junior high) |
Originally Posted by NJ Quilter
(Post 6611145)
In our district, yes, there is still a version of 'home ec'. It's called domestic somethingorother if I'm not mistaken. There is a term of sewing; one cooking; not sure what else is involved. I don't think it's quite the same as you and I remember but it is somewhat close. In the sewing portion I know they all make the same string bag. The only creativity involved is your fabric selection. When I had home ec, we could select any garment project we wanted. Still have nightmares about the teacher taking out the bazillion pins I had in the neckline of a garment I wanted to sew differently than the pattern called for. I ended up walking out of that class and blasting the teacher in the hallway. My mother was horrified that I flunked that class that term. At least I waited until the last term of the school year and had aced all the previous terms so overall, it didn't matter.
As an aside and result of that outburst, all of my fellow female (the only gender the class was offered to at the time - late 60's) students refused to take the home ec class the following year. We all demanded to take 'shop'. The school determined they could not deny us, but at that point made it mandatory for the male students to then be required to take home ec. Who knew I was a rebel! And a feminist! |
When I talk to folks, it seems those who took the shop and Home Ec classes learned NOTHING, if they didn't already knwo a good bit of it from home.
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I think that is wonderful sewing is essential for both
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In our district, we have classes called "________ and consumer science". Both boys and girls take it, cook and sew. One grade makes a pillow from a nine-patch pattern and a stuffed animal. I don't know what else. They also have a family section for which they have to carry an egg around for at least a week. They have requirements about what they have to do for the "baby". They all seem to enjoy the various parts of the class and are proud of their products when they sew. Although it is a class offered in the school where I work, I am so busy, I really do not know details about it. I will have to find out more about it.
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