The New York Times: Time to Revive Home Ec
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Ever felt like you believed in an idea before it finally started "catching on"? ...Here are the opening lines to an article in The New York Times by Helen Zoe Veit.
(I think I will write her a letter.)
NOBODY likes home economics. For most people, the phrase evokes bland food, bad sewing and self-righteous fussiness.
But home economics is more than a 1950s teacher in cat’s-eye glasses showing her female students how to make a white sauce. Reviving the program, and its original premises — that producing good, nutritious food is profoundly important, that it takes study and practice, and that it can and should be taught through the public school system — could help us in the fight against obesity and chronic disease today.
Read the rest of the article here.
posted by Trisha @ 9:11 PM
4 Comments
4 Comments:
So, what are your opinions / thoughts?
Is this the job of the public school system? Will it really help fight obesity & chronic disease?
Berekah
I love this article! I am always hesitant to let people know that I majored in Home Ec. because I know the stereo type.
YAY!!! and I haven't even read the whole article yet!
I proudly proclaim that I have a B.S. in Home Economics! Yes, I had to fight the stereotype of "you're just trying to get your Mrs degree". Silly boys must just have been jealous, and you should have seen their faces when I began listing possible careers that could stem from that degree! ;)
And I now TEACH home economics (and girls Health class) in our Christian school. It is sooo rewarding to see them get excited about learning these life skills! And it never hurts to teach them about nutrition and healthy eating; some have never heard it, or it's simply a reinforcement to what is taught at home. Information can be given, but it can't be forced into application - that is the parent's job. And yet, application can not be made if the knowledge isn't there. Better to provide the knowledge than not!
I teach the subject of "home economics" in a high school. However, we focus only on cooking and nutrition. The class is called Food Preparation. I am also the school PE teacher so we spend 1 semester on food prep and the other on weight training (which is often a class only offered to guys). It is a great way to teach the girls how to plan and prepare balanced meals as well as how to participate in a regular exercise program. I have found that the majority of my students have absolutely no idea how to cook and many of them don't have mothers who cook. While I don't think it should be a required course, I do think that schools do a disservice to students by not providing them with the opportunity to take such a practical course.
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