annie123

I took Home Ec in the early 70's. My friends mother had taught me to sew around age 10 or 11 so I seriously knew things the teacher didn't and I never got much out of it. My daughter took some version , I think they called it FACS or something but I have no idea what that stands for. It was a complete and total joke!! She didn't learn a single thing about basic cooking which is a real drawback now that she is on her own. I don't think anybody even finished their sewing project.

mpspeedy2

I have to agree with Sandy. I am pretty sure that our local school system has cut what used to be known as Home Economics from it's schedule. All of my granddaughters are head over heels into sports like lacrosse etc. I don't understand. Aside from the exercise from all that running around where else in the lives are they going to use those skills? I have been sewing since childhood. Because I do a lot of charity sewing I seem to get a lot of calls from folks looking for someone to do garment repairs for them. More than 15 years ago I worked for about a year for a Bernina dealer who made her rent by doing alterations and custom dressmaking. It is amazing what people will pay. The shop did a lot of hems, replacing of buttons and mending torn seams etc. They also sewed on a lot of patches. I truly believe that my husband fell in love with me because I could mend his jeans. His first wife never even sewed on a button.

IowaStitcher

AMEN! Sandygirl. We now need to teach all the skills to pass the required to pass standardized tests but not to require learning skills for survival: food preparation and safety, care of clothing whether purchased or made, child development, etc. Don't get me started. ;-) I am a proud graduate of what was called the college of home economics and spent 40 years working in a related field. Now, when it exists, it is usually called family and consumer science (not a bad name because this IS science if we weren't so scared of that term.)In the 60's shop was not an option for girls as it is now. Fortunately my father had all these skills and I learned a lot from him in this area. We need to push for reinstating life skills in the schools as well as the arts if we are truly teaching for a lifetime. OK, stepping off my soapbox

Barb_MO

They no longer have Home Ec in our school. I guess you don't have to learn how to put a prepared dinner in the microwave. A bunch of ladies I know wanted to start a quilting group and I thought the place to have it would be in the home ec. room at school since there would be tables, chairs and even some sewing machine available to us. What a surprise to find out the didn't have that now. It is call FACS now. They did have a few machine stored in the room, but most of them did work.
We still meet there because it was offered to us and there are tables and chairs, counters, so it works out great.

Quilty-Louise

In the HS school my youngest attended (she graduated in 2011)
She had a class called "Life 101" in this class they had to cook,
select fabrics for wardrobes, home decor, and other stuff.

I contacted the closest Middle & High Schools to put out "feelers"
to see if any of the students might be interested in learning how
to use a sewing machine (just u=the basic operation of one). None
of the students was interested, I even hung up a flyer near the mail
boxes of our condo complex only not just for young people. Still no
interest.

dd

No Home Ec here either. I was quite accomplished by the time I took home ec in middle school in the 70's. My teacher told me I couldn't make the pattern I had chosen because it was too difficult. It was a long (maxi) jumper with the ruffle from the waist over the shoulder and down to the waist in the back. I told her I could do it and I would show her I could do it. I made it, put yellow wide rickrack on that ruffle and the ruffle on the bottom, the jumper was black cotton. That's all I could afford in middle school, had to buy my own things. Got an A, wore it many times with a red calico peasant top and still have them both.
I currently teach a 12 yr old girl at church and have had others, mostly adults, who say they want to come but never show up. I'm happy with my one student. She's very good.

maminstl

I don't have kids, so no idea - but, when I was in high school, about a million years ago in the late 60's, we had Clothing 1 and II. I learned so much in those classes and remember the teacher very fondly. Made a coat - bound buttonholes, welt pockets, lining, padding stitches through the shoulders - completely tailored. I don't sew that way any more, and doubt that many home sewers do, but I loved it. Now I think twice before even setting in a sleeve.

Sewnoma

I took home ec in the late 80's, but I don't know if it's still offered. It was a strange class...half of the year it was home ec and the other half of the year it was shop. Very interesting mix of people in that class! I learned how to sew, make jam, and run a jigsaw. LOL

Skratchie

I think there's still some form of home ec offered in our district, but I'm not sure. However, considering the number of people these days (particularly girls) who cannot even boil water, let alone cook a simple meal, I think it should be a required course! Let's not even discuss the sewing bit (which was a disaster for me in my own home ec course). What about the basics like cooking rice, peeling potatoes and using an oven and/or stove?

I'm always so shocked to hear people say they don't cook. I'd bet you that more than half the folks I know don't cook a meal three times a week. Since both myself and my husband cook - and cook very well - this whole concept of not knowing how to cook is completely foreign to me. I'd get so sick of eating out all the time!

Annie Pearl

Nothing here either. My mother insisted that all of us learned to sew so she taught us at home. In the 70s when I was in school sewing was offered at the 8th grade level. In the 90s when my daughter was in school nothing. No shop for the boys either but we had sports!
I plan to teach each of my granddaughters to sew when they are a little older. They both like to watch me now.