Ames Leber

A BSM student has to learn how to make dinner at home, without the help of a home economics class.

Home Economics, also known as Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS), is a class that can be taken in school that teaches students practical life skills such as cooking, doing the laundry, and home management. These classes used to be a staple in school curriculum, but a decrease in enrollment has led to fewer schools offering the class. Regardless of class enrollment, home economics should still be offered in all schools, including BSM, because it teaches valuable life skills and prepares students for the real world.

While home economics seems like a silly class where all you do is bake and learn how to sew, it is actually way more than that—home economics teaches life skills. For example, you can learn everyday abilities that will help you live independently and effectively, whether it’s knowing how to plan a healthy meal, clean the house, or understand how to write a check. These might seem like simple skills, but you would be surprised at how many students are sent to college without a basic understanding of how to manage their lives. Many times, freshmen in college will go to school and not know how to prepare their own meals or do their own laundry, which can set them back compared to someone who does know how to do these things. The students who are behind are losing time focusing on school, and instead have to learn how to manage their lives.

Home economics classes also provide students with skills that they will use every day, unlike other classes. Often, students complain that the math they are doing in class will never be used in their lives after they graduate, but that claim could never be made about the things learned in a home economics class. The skills learned in that class will be used every day in a student’s life and will set students up for success by teaching them to cook, manage their money, and run a household. In this class, students will not only understand how to manage their life while they are in high school, but it will also give them skills to carry with them well beyond high school.

Home economics can also spark real passions for students. Since the class gives students such a diverse skill set, they might discover new interests such as a love for cooking, nutrition, cleaning, or interior design—all subjects often included in home economics programs. These interests can also lead to a future of fulfilling careers in fields like culinary arts, hospitality, education, and more. Even if a student doesn’t pursue a career in these fields, just having the knowledge of how to cook a healthy meal or manage a household will significantly boost confidence and independence.

Equality is another major outcome of a home economics class. Not everyone grows up in a household where these skills are taught. A class like this gives all students a fair shot at learning the basics of self-sufficiency. In short, home economics isn’t outdated—it’s essential. If BSM really wants to prepare students for life after high school, it should offer a home economics class.