Home Economics in

School
In some junior high and high school settings,
home economics courses educate students
about consumer education as well as teach
students about home furnishings, sewing,
clothing, cooking and textiles. In some courses,
cooking also involves nutrition, food hygiene
and food safety, food preservation and
managing money.
When initially established, home economics
courses were meant to prepare young women for
duties in the home, such as cooking and cleaning.
Courses included information about herbal
medicine, hides and leather, making soap, sewing,
quilting, cooking on a wood burning stove and
how to make bread and butter. Since the
establishment of home economics courses,
schools have changed the focus or stopped
offering courses.
Home economics is not only an academic
discipline, but it also teaches students
ways to develop their potential and learn
skills so their basic needs are met.
Students learn skills to prepare them for
life outside of their parent's home and
give them tools to adapt to different
situations.
Cleaning
Cleaning and home upkeep is one of
the parts to a home economics course,
ranging from how to remove trash to
cleaning surfaces. The home economics
course may teach about proper
cleaning solutions and how to avoid
dangerous chemicals when cleaning.
Sewing
Another area of home economics is
teaching students how to sew.
Although this may include tasks like
how to hem pants or sew a button on a
pair of pants, some schools started
offering fashion design courses in
addition to home economics.
Cooking
Although home economics courses initially focused on
food preparation for the household, commercial cooking
is included in some schools. Economics courses may focus
on household cooking, such as how to cook for a family
of four, as well as food safety and hygiene, such as
washing food, and the food service industry. Some
students can gain practical hands-on experience through
work study programs that help students learn about
industry equipment. Home economics also teaches the
basics of proper nutrition, such as specific amounts of
fruits, vegetables, meat and other foods.
Finances
One area home economics courses deal with is how to create a
budget and how to save money. A household budget should
include income as well as expenses like rent/mortgage, food,
utilities and savings. Courses also go into the use of credit cards
and other forms of debt, such as student loans. Home economics
teachers may provide information to students about how to
understand the accrual of interest. Students may be taught about
being frugal by buying the least expensive brand, how to make
investments, and how to plan for savings. A curriculum that
focuses on finances may also teach students how to prepare
financial records and tax forms for the Internal Revenue Service.