The Role of a Home Economics Teacher

The preconceived notion of a Home Economics (HE) teacher is one who teaches students to cook and sew. Its sad that the efforts and hard work of these teachers have not widely gained accreditation due such a mindset of the society.

Many many years ago, I had a lot of fun during my HE classes. Yes, I did learn new dishes and skills and also learnt to sew. And the boys who went for their Technical classes would be willing guinea pigs as they wanted to try our dishes. But that was not all. There were other aspects involved as well, like home care, clothes care and child care.

Years down the road, the syllabus has gone through many changes with the removal of sewing. Prior to that, they learnt about fundamentals of design and textile which teaches them how to chooses colours, the different types of fabrics and their uses and proper use and care. In the future HE will be renamed as Food and Consumer Education (FCE). Focusing on two core areas which is food studies and consumer studies. Students will learn about meal planning, diet & health, diet-related diseases, food management, resource management, budgeting and consumer awareness.

HE is a very specialized subject and I believe that due credit should be given to the teachers. One of the reasons that I began my journey to become one could have been possibly due to the influence of my experiences during my school days and because of my teacher. Students don't just learn skills, but important life skills. Knowledge on not just how to cook dishes, but modifying or enhancing it. How food affects the body, why is food required or importance of nutrients. These are just a few to name on what the students will be equipped with. As a future HE teacher I hope to change that perception that it is not just about cooking and sewing. It's more than that......