Off The Record
Parents Want Home Economics To Be Taught In Schools Again To Teach Kids Basic Life Skills
An educational and instructional video production business called Young America Films published a nine-minute short film called “Why Study Home Economics?” in 1955.
The story begins with Janice and Carol, two sisters in high school, choosing their classes for the upcoming semester. Janice says, “Well, I have to fill one science requirement and English, and I want to take home economics.”
“Home economics?!” Carol replies, aghast, “Why in the world do you want to take home, ec.?”
While the video is definitely seeped in some mid-century misogyny in terms of Janice’s primary motivation for taking the course (“Anyone who’s going to be married and a homemaker would be foolish not to take home economics!” she eventually declares), the school’s home economics instructor, Miss Jenkins, takes a broader view of its benefits. “To tell you the truth, Janice,” she tells her. “You need to know more than how to run a house or an apartment. You need to know why, as well as how.”
This was during a period when almost all high schools in the nation offered home economics, albeit mostly to female students. A few decades later, home economics classes were mandated for students, male and female alike. The American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences then suggested in 1994 that the class’s name be formally changed to “family and consumer sciences” in order to better reflect the evolution of the subject matter over time. The curricula now included modules on nutrition and family finances in addition to baking, cooking, and sewing.
However, enrolment started to decline by the early 2000s. Only 3.5 million students were enrolled in home economics classes nationwide by 2012, down 38% from the previous ten years, according to the Craft Industry Alliance. This is due to a few factors: The complicated—and frequently sexist—American connection with domestic labor is cited by some analysts as the reason for the courses’ national decline, while others argue that any subjects that don’t directly affect test scores and grades aren’t given priority.
Home economics, also known as family and consumer sciences, is currently only offered in roughly 6,000 schools across the country, but I contend that there has never been a better opportunity to revive it.
The argument for a return to these classes is not new; scholars David S. Ludwig and Alice H. Lichtenstein published an article titled “Bring Back Home Economics Education“ in JAMA in 2010. Part of what it said was:
Even more than before, parents and caregivers today cannot be expected or relied on to teach children how to prepare healthy meals. Many parents never learned to cook and instead rely on restaurants, takeout food, frozen meals, and packaged food as basic fare. Many children seldom experience what a true home-cooked meal tastes like, much less see what goes into preparing it. Work schedules and child extracurricular programs frequently preclude involving children in food shopping and preparation. The family dinner has become the exception rather than the rule.
To improve education about food, it is not necessary to bring back the classic home economics coursework, replete with gender-specific stereotypes. Rather, girls and boys should be taught the basic principles they will need to feed themselves and their families within the current food environment: a version of hunting and gathering for the 21st century.
But in the ten years that have followed, the demand for these courses has only grown. As Axios revealed last month, 72% of participants in a recent Harris Poll survey indicated that their perception of inflation’s impact is greatest on food. However, according to a recent Mint poll, 65% of Americans claimed they had no idea how much they had spent the previous month; the least likely group to know was group Z.
Younger Americans require assistance beyond TikTok and Reddit to learn how to budget, prepare meals, and shop—all skills that are often taught in home economics classes—as the economy and the ways in which we pass along information to future generations change. As Susan Turgeson, president of the Association of Teacher Educators for Family and Consumer Sciences, told NPR in 2018: “Everything about FCS is really teaching resource management and employability skills, creative thinking, and critical thinking — we just do it through food.”
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Chef, recipe creator, and co-founder of Goodness Gracious Grocery Cassandra Loftlin has worked extensively in the field of food education, including creating recipes just for kids, and she has direct experience with the positive effects it can have on students.
“Cooking is an essential life skill that children need to learn to be self-sufficient adults,” Loftlin said. “It’s called culinary arts for a reason — it fosters creativity and allows children to experiment with flavors, textures, and ingredients, encouraging a sense of adventure at any age. Teaching children to cook also promotes financial literacy by budgeting for food and time management, while understanding how to prioritize tasks and manage time effectively to get dinner on the table by 6 p.m.”
She continued: “When young children learn how to cook, it boosts their confidence as they master a new skill. This newfound confidence extends beyond the kitchen, empowering them to tackle other challenges they may encounter in life. By successfully preparing meals for themselves and their family, children gain a sense of accomplishment and independence, laying a foundation for future success and resilience in the face of adversity.”
Loftlin asserts that the benefits of home economics education have real-world applications regardless of whether they appear on tests (a statement Turgeson also made to NPR, stating, “Wait five minutes in FCS, and you’ll use this information later this week and later in life”).
“By integrating cooking into preschool education, educators and parents can provide a hands-on approach to learning that not only stimulates the senses but also reinforces academic concepts in a fun and engaging way,” Loftlin said. “This holistic approach to education sets a strong foundation for children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development, preparing them for success both inside and outside the kitchen.”
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