Home Economics class could teach essential life skills
Emily Kemper | The Chronicle

Silvia Cattini advises her Fashion Design and Construction students on their fabric project.
From learning how to cook spaghetti to stitching a hole in their jeans, many Mason High School (MHS) students are interested in learning hands-on skills they need to live independently.
MHS offers many elective classes, some of which give students the chance to learn practical skills like sewing or cooking. However, some students feel like one elective is still missing – Home Economics. Typical Home Economics courses include lessons on sewing, cooking, budgeting, health and hygiene; as well as cleaning and organization skills – all things considered necessary knowledge for an independent adult.
Instead of offering one basic Home Economics class, MHS has individual elective classes that include learning these skills. Courses like Health and Financial Literacy are requirements for graduation, but classes like Fashion Design and Construction or The Science Behind Our Food are optional and dive much deeper into specific skills.
Junior Elliot Pearce has taken many classes that aim to prepare students for life during and after high school, such as Health and Financial Literacy, as well as art focused classes that teach handy skills like sewing in Fashion Design and Construction and how to use power tools in Backstage Theater. However, he believes that some of the topics in these classes could be condensed into a Home Economics course.
“Right now we have all of those things, just not in one class,” Pearce said. “I’ve had to sit through different classes that have taught me individual skills that I could have learned in one spot.”
Pearce said that despite already knowing how to sew going into Fashion Design and Construction, he still learned new skills, like how to hem pants, that he has used in everyday life. Pearce also said that many students came into the class knowing nothing about sewing and fashion, and came away with a lot of knowledge and skills.
“We learned how to do the basics, and we can apply that to fixing clothes, sewing on buttons, hemming pants,” Pearce said. “We basically just learned how to create things and how to follow patterns.”
Sophomore Nicole D’Silva expressed interest in the idea of a Home Economics class because it would teach her skills she needs to learn before her high school career is over.
“I probably would take [Home Economics] my senior year because I think learning how to do taxes and manage my money better would be nice to learn,” D’Silva said. “And learning how to cook, because I don’t know how, so I think that would help me after high school.”
Sophomore Scarlett Glen is taking the course The Science Behind Our Food mainly to learn about nutrition, but is also learning everyday skills like how to cook, how to keep a kitchen safe and tidy, and how to read nutrition labels in the process. Glen said that because the content learned in this elective is science focused, there could also be a general Home Economics class offered at MHS that would cover a variety of skills.
“I think there could also be a Home Economics class because [The Science Behind Our Food] is a very science based class, and I’m interested in nutrition, so it’s a good class for me,” Glen said. “But if you wanted to learn basic cooking skills then a Home Economics class would be better.”
However, Jackie Smith, who teaches some sections of The Science Behind Our Food, said that Home Economics probably wouldn’t be a very popular course. She said that individual electives are a better option for students because they cover more content about each subject, and students can pick which classes are best for them based on what they already know or are interested in learning.
“I think in Home Economics, you just cover the surface level of things,” Smith said. “It’s better if they’re able to take multiple elective classes because they can learn more about each of the concepts. I think if [MHS] did have a Home Economics class, it would have to be required – a lot of kids wouldn’t sign up for it on their own.”
While there is debate over whether the revival of a Home Economics course would be beneficial, the electives MHS offers now are great ways for students to prepare themselves for living independently. Smith says that she thinks learning practical skills should be a part of most students’ high school education, especially cooking, because it’s something people do every day.
“You’re thrown out into the world and you have to learn all of this stuff,” Smith said. “And for a lot of kids, their parents don’t cook a lot, so [those kids] don’t know how to. So having this class to learn basic skills or build their confidence to try new things is super helpful.”
Silvia Cattini, who teaches Fashion Design and Construction, agreed that the electives MHS offers now are better for students, but that regardless of how they are taught, learning life skills – even something as simple as writing an address on an envelope or making a neat bed – are a vital part of the high school experience. Cattini thinks it’s important to encourage students to take these classes to build a “kit” of skills they can use when they start to live away from home.
“We are losing the basic survival skills that are practical as well as vital,” Cattini said. “I’m really glad Mason offers these wonderful electives, because just one class couldn’t cover everything. So we need to rely on people finding the urge to take at least one.”
Whether a one-stop-shop or a choose-your-own-adventure course load is best for students is up for debate. But no matter how they are taught, learning life skills gives students the freedom to one day live independently, and the potential to spark a new passion. Cattini said that learning how to sew, cook, clean or manage finances isn’t just about survival, but about exposing students to new careers or hobbies.
“Each practical skill is the tip of an iceberg – you can develop such a passion and turn it into a profession that is very rewarding,” Cattini said.