The Home Economics syllabus has a direct relevance to individuals' daily lives; it aims to provide them with a forum for knowledge, to encourage understanding, to develop skills and formulate attitudes and values to achieve optimal, healthy and sustainable living for every person as an individual, and in their interdependent relationships with their families and immediate and wider society. For over 18 years, in my encounter with students, parents, family and others, my primary aim has been to focus minds on how to address practical, real-world, perennial problems of households and society in socially responsible ways. Practical perennial problems or concerns are endured from generation to generation by families and require critical decision-making skills to resolve them. As an applied subject at post-primary level, combining theory with practical diverse disciplines integrating social, physical and human sciences, Home Economics strives to solve everyday challenges in the areas of Food, Textiles, Health & Wellness, Design, Social studies and Tourism. In times of rapid social change, Home Economics has never been more relevant for multiple reasons. As the country is faced with an obesity epidemic, Home Economics educates students on food and nutrition, and enables them to incorporate wise food choices and gives them the skills to prepare wholesome nutritious meals from scratch. In times of financial difficulties, individuals are equipped with knowledge and skills to become discerning consumers and maximise value for money. The subject as a discipline also prepares individuals to function and grow to become active members in society, and prepares them for the opportunities and challenges they will meet in the course of their lives. The aim of Home Economics is to nurture the following essential life-skills:
This website provides information (CLICK on IMAGES/ KEY PHRASES throughout to learn more) about subject syllabi at Junior/ Senior cycle, nutrition, consumer and society related articles of interest (in the Home Economics articles blog), and, more according to issues of interest that arise. Mr. Brian A. Dooley, Professional Home Economist |
neven maguire (Ambassador for Home Economics in ireland) on the significance of home economics in education/ societyHome Economics is a life-skills subject, the knowledge of which empowers individuals and families to improve their lives, to manage resources, to make informed decisions around food preparation, i.e. providing healthy and nutritious food on a daily basis, as well as acquiring key skills in money management and budgeting in order to make wise consumer choices.
Neven Maguire said the Government had to take action to battle the growing crisis where one in four children is overweight and a staggering one in ten is obese. “I think every child should be taught to cook in school,” he said. “That might be difficult in primary school but in secondary school, home economics should be compulsory. As a male home economics teacher, I can concur with Neven's experience of doing Home Economics in school - “...I got a lot of slagging but that did not matter because I knew I loved to cook. If the Government is serious about tackling the problem of teaching skills and improving the health of this generation and future generations — and it may not always be easy because not all schools have kitchens — I think as much as possible should be invested in this. “It’s a win-win situation. Students who go to college need to cook on a budget, and I’m not talking about fancy food but real food, a stew, mince, soup, and vegetables. “You can educate a student that you can make a curry from scratch for €3. And you know what goes into it. It’s not full of nasties, it’s not full of salt or sugar. As a teacher of the subject in an all boys school, the stigma from parents around the subject is gradually changing - Neven makes a good point: “You might not call it Home Economics, but LIFE-SKILLS. You can then teach the students about health, nutrition, cooking and resourceful and sustainable consumer competence (as is evident from the new Junior cycle specification for the subject, beginning in September 2018). We have to go there.” Thankfully, at CBC Monkstown, the BOM/ Management have taken a step in the right direction, upgrading its facilities for Home Economics and with the Home Economics department, encouraging as many students as possible to pursue the subject, particularly at Junior Cycle. As a teacher, I have the opportunity to meet with parents and learn from their perspective how the subject impacts on their child and family's skill acquisition , their application of shrewd consumer knowledge and their keen awareness for their personal and family's health. Learning about fresh ingredients, roasting the beef, making stews, making wheaten bread, soda bread, cookies, and many more tasty food experiences is not always available in the fast-pace of life in modern homes - #makeHomeEconomicscompulsory may assist to save future generations from a myriad of health epidemics by providing many of the skills necessary to make it happen. "Teaching children how to cook must be put on a par with basic skills such as reading, writing and maths to tackle the nation’s obesity crisis", A crisis that plagues all our houses among various dietary groups - England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales - Scotland’s first National Chef Gary Maclean has said.
Appointed by the Scottish Government in November, 2017 and tasked with improving people’s relationship with food as well as promoting local produce, said children were less active than when he was growing up. In terms of extending people’s lives and their health and well-being "Cooking should be regarded as a “proper life skill as opposed to a career option” by schools, warning also that it was likely to take “decades” to change the nation’s eating habits amid repeated warnings on childhood obesity. Mr Maclean said he doubted whether Scots would respond well to messages of “ban this or tax that”, arguing that obesity rates would fall if people were shown how to cook properly themselves. Whether they use it or not is up to them, but they need to be given those skills – how to cook a bit of chicken, how to make a pot of soup,” he said. Read more at: https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/cooking-important-maths-says-national-chef-gary-maclean/ |