At school, basic education refers, among other things, to the learning of mathematics and general culture, but in no way teaches the manual work necessary for the management of everyday life. Normal, these things are learned most often at home but if these skills are combined with those of the school, they will make these children, the informed adults of tomorrow. THE DAILY GAZETTE, highlights this learning published in the 20th century.
Among the skills that these children should acquire, we can name those of cooking, budgeting, time management as well as comparisons of purchases. This would help children to a large extent understand the hard work of their parents but also to be better prepared for their future lives and to be self-reliant.
A little reminder of the history of this discipline
Although the principles of these apprenticeship courses were taught from the 19th century, the term "home economics" was only applied at the beginning of the 20th century. The image conveyed by this discipline was limited and put forward that of young girls who cooked and sewed. During the 1960s and 1970s, the women's movement, which viewed this domestic education with suspicion, revolutionized the narrow view of women and opened them to careers as researchers and many others. areas.
Standardization of home economics education in schools
Over time, the domestic economy was lost since this discipline which was the preserve of girls at the time, began to disappear with the evolution of the woman and her interest in more rewarding activities.
Currently, this teaching is regaining interest to allow adolescents of all genders to be independent. In Finland, this teaching has been adopted for years in schools and has allowed students to acquire skills manual that were previously ignored, especially since it allowed to eradicate the stereotypes of some specially designed work for girls or boys.
A class of cooking and all domestic aspects is now dedicated to students. These are basic work needs that everyone needs to know especially at a young age. Thus, over time, this will help children and adolescents to assert day-to-day domestic skills.
In addition to the cooking and housekeeping that is taught, there is also the learning of first aid to provide in case of injury, budget management, judicious spending, patience, listening, attention and even the empathy. These courses are essential to develop a sense of responsibility among adolescents who will become the adults of tomorrow. These courses, which are compulsory in education in Denmark, "value interpersonal intelligence and coexistence as much as learning spelling or reading. As emphasized by our colleagues at Top Santé.
In addition, according to The classroom, the domestic economy now known as the home economics course in family and consumer sciences is taught to children since secondary school so that they can be immersed in it. as soon as possible.
The main subjects taught in this discipline:
Security
Students learn the different principles of safety and realize the potential dangers, such as leaving a saucepan on the stove unattended, treating injuries to avoid the risk of infection, being alert to young children and preventing the risk of fire.
Nutrition
Students learn about the risks of unhealthy eating and lack of exercise, most often resulting in obesity.
The skills of life
During these classes, students learn, for example, how to manage a checkbook, prepare for a job interview, organize a budget, honor their bills and understand the principle of paying taxes. In addition to these qualifications, they also learn conflict resolution, the fundamentals of communication, personal development that are expected to have a positive impact on their future relationships.
The common life
With these learnings, children learn to be more independent especially when they live in university residences by sharing their rooms or in military barracks.
The sense of responsibility
For those who will become parents later, these courses will allow them to acquire parenting skills to be responsible to their children. Not to mention those who want to specialize in the areas of child care.
This teaching is acclaimed today to make these children the responsible adults of tomorrow.
