The idea of high-school home-economics courses seems outdated to some, but experts, including the first lady, are emphasizing the need for students to learn the skills taught in home ec.
Traditionally, the image of a home economics class in high school has been a room of young women in aprons, pulling perfect casseroles out of the oven. But, the (now-named) Family and Consumer Sciences courses in high schools often teach more than potato peeling. Many of the classes are geared toward learning about independent living, which includes food preparation and other skills such as child-rearing, money management and more.
On Thursday, First Lady Michelle Obama called for students to learn more about cooking meals. Ms. Obama echoed experts in her assertion that one reason parents struggle to serve more healthful food at home is because they don’t know how to cook. The American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences uses the obesity rate among children in the United States as one of its reasons home economics courses are needed in schools. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than one-third of children in the U.S. were considered overweight or obese.
Students in every state are enrolled in Family and Consumer Sciences classes. According to a study from the AAFCS, enrollment in Family and Consumer Sciences classes has declined 38% in the past 10 years. (Note: Data wasn’t available for Alaska, Maryland, New Hampshire and Oregon.)
Utah has the highest percent of students enrolled in FCS courses with 93%. Wisconsin comes in second with 80% and Pennsylvania is third with 72%. The AAFCS data also show Connecticut has the smallest percent of students in FCS classes with less than 1%. New Jersey also has less than 1% enrolled. (Utah also had lowest percent of obese or overweight high school students; however, New Jersey and Montana tied for the second lowest percent.)
One of the major issues for states is finding highly qualified teachers for FCS courses. According to the study, half of all states have trouble hiring enough highly qualified teachers to teach Family and Consumer Sciences classes. (Note: Data available for 34 states.)