SALT LAKE CITY ? School is starting today for a lot of kids in Salt Lake County. But some students who signed up for what they thought was an easy class may be in for a rude awakening. Officials say teaching what used to be known as "home ec" isn't as easy as it looks.
Technically, it's not "home economics" anymore. It's officially called "Family and Consumer Sciences," and to qualify as an instructor in this field, people need to go through some intense schooling. They need a composite degree, which means one minor isn't enough.
Family and Consumer Sciences Education Specialist Pearl Hart said, "They have to have a minor in family, marriage and human development, along with early child education. They have to have food science and nutrition courses that require inorganic and organic chemistry."
Some of the other minors include personal and family finances, interior design and textiles. Hart says the textiles and food sciences minors require that people take organic and inorganic chemistry classes.
"That, right there, is the weeder' course," she said. "A lot of people drop out of the major because the chemistry is difficult."
As for what's being taught in the classroom, Hart says it's not exactly like what is was back in the 80s or 90s. She says it's not uncommon to see beakers and test tubes during food sciences class, not just casserole dishes and Bundt cake pans.
"That's the big difference between [these courses] and what we probably knew in the older Home Economics courses, where they were classified as just teaching our students to prepare for home," she said.
These days, high school students in Family and Consumer Sciences can get one of two workforce certifications by going through the right set of classes. On the family and human development side of the program, high school kids can get an Early Child Development Associates Degree. On the culinary side, they can get a ProStart certification that is recognized by the National Restaurant Association.
"They can go right into the workforce and use those. You can't work for Head Start without a CDA," she said.
Even though the training to become a teacher in this field can be intense, and a lot of people do drop out, Hart says there are still some positive signs for the program. She says Utah leads the nation in the number of college students who are majoring in teaching these classes.
Source: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=21886322&s_cid=rss-148
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