If you graduated from school before the year 2000, chances are you might have taken a home economics or home studies class—if you were a girl, that is. There’s no denying how useful it is to learn these essential life skills.

Nowadays, the idea of both men and women managing the home and family is more widely accepted. However, home economics classes are fading away, and fewer schools are giving students—both boys and girls—the chance to learn basic skills crucial for adulthood.

Many people advocate for the reintroduction of home economics in schools so students can acquire skills that mathematics and history classes simply don’t teach. This is especially relevant in today’s fast-paced world, where parents work long hours and many high school students come home to an empty house. They’re expected to cook for themselves and handle basic tasks like laundry and cleaning.

But how many of them are actually taught these skills at school?

There’s no denying that home economics helps kids become more independent. A recent study found that 62.7 percent of the 3.1 million high school graduates in the U.S. in 2020 were enrolled in college that year. Many students moving from home to dorm life must fend for themselves for the first time.

Cooking nutritious meals, doing laundry regularly, and maintaining a clean living space are much easier when students have been taught how to handle these responsibilities at school.

Societal expectations for women at home and in the workplace have evolved significantly. It is now rightly understood that women are not destined for a future solely of cooking, cleaning, and child-rearing—unless they choose to be.

Learning how to cook, do laundry, and administer basic first aid is just the beginning. Imagine if home economics also taught students how to change a tire, file taxes, or replace a lightbulb. Many adults still struggle with these essential tasks because they were never taught.

Creating a dedicated space for students to learn these life skills in school makes perfect sense. Yet, many schools continue to prioritize subjects that may have little practical value in everyday life.

Of course, if all else fails, kids can still learn a lot from their parents at home.