Panay News

Real applicatio­ns of Home Economics

- Mary Ann T. Degala Pontevedra, Capiz

In life, we need to learn things in order for us to survive in this world and to have enough power to face its demands. As a home economics teacher, I believe that this curriculum is more than just a school subject but most importantl­y it is an academic discipline that incorporat­es in its curriculum as many pertinent life skills that will help students succeed independen­t of their chosen career paths.

Learners will surely understand how important home economics is; the benefits it could give from this educationa­l curricula and how the knowledge they would obtained through this program will prove valuable throughout the lifespan. One of the most common misconcept­ions of home economics is that people usually think that it is just sewing clothes, cooking and baking. However, home economics classes taught much more.

According to research, these classes acted as a bridge during the 20th Century for women to enter into institutio­ns of higher education and later into profession­s. It is when first introduced in the late 1800 that these classes helped girls prepare for life on the farm helping their families. And as universiti­es conducted research, home economics classes taught advanced classes in nutrition and hygiene as well as economics. Women who graduated from these advanced programs went on to teaching positions to pass on this knowledge. This led to positions in hospitals, restaurant­s, hotels, and even government.

Thus, what is usually thought of as a class for repressed women actually prepared women for the real world and a career. Home economics really help in big time and thus must be appreciate­d by all means. Home economics teaches the basic of life, what to do in order to survive. Students of this subject taught students how to manage and save money, how to open bank accounts and how to balance a checking account. Modern classes have expanded to teach the difference in debit cards and credit cards. The students were also encouraged to think long-term, as the importance of savings and retirement accounts were explained.

In terms of cooking aspect, home economics teaches how we can obtain nutrition and food safety. Teachers of home economics should take initiative to impart this knowledge and help the students apply it in their lives. They can teach the proper ways to select, prepare, and cook vegetables. Learning the different cuts of meat and how to prepare them can not only improve health, but can help keep the budget in check as well.

What is more important is that home economics will surely develop and enhance the life skills we needed so we can live longer, healthier and stronger. These life skills are the key factors for better world engagement and better life improvemen­t. (Paid article)

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