Do the schools where you live offer Home Ec classes?

Yes, it’s offered in junior high school for one semester here, and everyone takes it.

It’s offered in our middle school (6th, 7th, 8th) as part of a class that has five intro courses over the year. Both boys and girls take it. They all take shop too.

Not any more. There was cooking for girls and carpentry for boys. You had to take one or the other. Then there was typing for girls and metal workshop for boys.

I took typing and was the only boy.

Yes, I believe they do, but teaching them how to separate meat from produce when bagging groceries is not what they are teaching. This would be something that should be taught when one starts their first day as a cashier or bagger.

I rarely come across this problem though. Is it that bad of a probem where you live? Most cashiers and baggers in my area double wrap the meat and separate it from other food.

It is called Personal Living Skills class here, and every student 5–8 takes it.

I think learning these skills in school is good, but there’s no guarantee that this will translate to your bagger remembering that one fact. Your grocery store is responsible for training its staff to handle food properly. If I were you, I would write or pay a visit to the manager.

My son’s school did. He took home ec because he wanted to eat the stuff he made (he had a friend who also thought this was a good idea). What they didn’t factor into their devious food plan was that during the second semester they had to take needlecraft and make an apron. They didn’t like that bit!

Most cashiers and others who bag groceries in my area separate the meats from the other groceries too, @jonsblond. It is something I’d imagine would be on the job training and not taught in public schools.

It wasn’t offered in my high school.

Many do separate the meats from other foods, but they put raw meat with the cooked, they are so clueless. They get training to put like products together, and to a 19 year old who never went shopping with their mom they seem to think that is ok I guess. This is done incorrectly at my area stores all the time. At least 50% of the time when I goto the store. It happened when I lived in NC also, but didn’t in FL or when I go to a military base, etc. I agree training, and also the age of the person doing the job seems to be part of it from what I have observed. Just to support the training being the biggest problem, it happens at Kroger most, not near as much at Walmart. It used to happen at Schnuck’s when that was in our market also. Still, these young women and men risking cross contamination, they need to know for their life also, not just working at a grocery store. Bunches of these teens and 20 year olds don’t work in grocery stores, but they still need to know these basics.

@Bellatrix Is needlecraft the same as needle point? We learned how to sew on a button and how to thread a sewing machine, sew something basic. But, the class was not really about “crafts” like cross stitch or knitting. It was more a practical class. Both genders took the class. We also all took wood working, leather working.

My children didn’t get it in their schools. The schools are very focused on academic subjects and on getting kids into good high schools and colleges. They certainly didn’t have room for it in middle school. They may have it in high school, but it would be an elective if they did have it, and I don’t think my daughter would be interested.

My son took it in middle school… and it was a joke. Seriously. There was no food safety component. The only thing that I remember them covering was how to do laundry.

I’m certain that Wegmans (local grocery store) extensively trains their cashiers. I cannot fathom my cashier bagging raw meats with any other products.

It’s not offered in my area anymore. I wish it was. I really enjoyed home economics class when I was in junior high school. I still remember how to make “tuna in toast cups” which was one of my favorites. Our classroom had three complete kitchens in it that were fully stocked with everything and they each had a dining table. It was cool and sort of retro looking in the classroom. I could live without the sewing part, but for those who like sewing I’m sure it was helpful.

I also wish they still gave driver’s ed classes in schools. I’m appalled they don’t and that’s probably why we have several generations of horrid drivers.

I also think it’s more important than people think. There is a lot to be said for knowing how to make yourself a decent, healthy meal, basic safety and first aid and how to economize and live on a budget.

My highschool didn’t! I wish more schools did offer this as a class because I feel that it is more useful than some other classes that they are required to take.

@JLeslie it was just a basic sewing class. Boys can do it and there isn’t an issue with that, mine and his friend didn’t want to do the sewing. They were just teenaged boys who fancied cooking food so they could eat it!

In Junior High everyone took it for one quarter all three years.