Teach Middle East Magazine Apr - Jun 2020 Issue 3 Volume 7 | Page 32

Sharing Good Practice
learning courses, and the mass media
has invested considerable effort in
questioning why home economics
is not core to all learning. This wave
of questioning emerged from the
scholarly article published in the
Journal of the American Medical
Association (JAMA) authored by
Lichenstein & Ludwig (2010), both
medical practitioners, who argued
forcefully that “…in the midst of a
pediatric obesity epidemic and
concerns about the poor diet quality
of adolescents in the United States,
instruction in basic food preparation
and meal planning skills needs to be
part of any long-term solution” and
there is an urgent need to “bring
home economics back” (p.1857).
The emerging world of science and
technology in UAE should go hand
in hand with the refurbishment of
the curriculum. The lack of Home
Economics education in the UAE
curriculum has led many people to not
manage their life appropriately, which
later on results in myriads of diseases
such as obesity, high blood pressure,
lack of Vitamin D and kwashiorkor,
due to the scarcity of nutrients and
poor cooking method “International
Federation For Home Economics”,
(2008).
having its focus on the wellbeing of
individuals and families in everyday
living. Once students undertake this
course, they will have a chance to
choose later what they prefer to study
in their lifelong journey.
Home economics gives students
courage,
self-confidence,
builds
positive memories, and feelings of
contributing to their families. When
students are taught to cook, they will
develop confidence, which later on
they will help their parents during
everyday life. This gives parents a
helping hand when their children are
at home. It makes parents proud of
their children (Kral, Bannon, & Moore,
2016) and develops a sense of pride in
the students themselves.
This subject enables Boys and Girls
from around the world, to learn
essential key life skills that will allow
them to master how to prepare
nourishing meals, engaged in tactile
experiences, such as handling foods.
Home Economics classes can also
allow students that are more inclined
towards hands-on activities to flourish
as they find themselves accessing a
curriculum activity that gives them
an opportunity to succeed in life
(Drummond, 2011). Home Economics
aids children in accepting responsibility
through the task of completing and
contributing to various activities such;
as meal preparation, sewing a hem
or knowing how to change a fuse
in a socket. Also, Home Economics,
with special emphasis on cooking in
schools, builds positive memories for
children promoting future healthy
and enjoyable cooking. Improved
changes in the curriculum for home
economics changes the cooking and
nutritional knowledge, as well as food
safety behaviours. Home Economics
classes are vital and should be part of
the UAE national curriculum.
There is a need for Home Economics
to be taught across all UAE schools
and at the tertiary level of education
because it will give our students
employment opportunity in different
sectors across the UAE. Graduates
could be employed as teachers, and
within the consumer information
agencies, agriculture, environment,
sustainability and retail sectors,
product
development,
fashion
designing and merchandising, project
planning, among others.
Home economics enhances career
development and instils life skills. It
encourages motivation, teamwork
and gives the student ample
opportunity to choose their career
(McCoy, 2019). Those who wish to
study nutrition or health care will
get many courses to select. Home
economics is a comprehensive course
that covers almost every field. It leads
to a professional career that enables
students from all walks of life to
embrace its interdisciplinary subjects,
32
Term 3 Apr - Jun 2020
Denise Buttigieg Fiteni is currently living in AI Ain and is working with AI Ain
Academy that forms part of the ALDAR ACADEMIES, where she is employed as
Head of Faculty for Creativity and Enterprise. She is originally from Malta and has
worked as a Home Economics teacher in various countries i.e. United Kingdom,
Italy, Malta and UAE. Her mother tongue is English and Maltese, but she is also
fluent in Italian and has mastered French and Arabic.
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