Home economics department, niger state college of education, minna

The Home Economics curriculum content, being dynamic in nature must be constantly reviewed to meet the local needs, economic realities and natural constraints of the family and the self. This entails innovative approaches to teaching of Home Economics and the widening of it’s curricula horizon to meet needs of the moment Okeke, E.N., Ekomaru C.I, and Ihekoronye, C.N (2011).

If the above must be achieved the teachers of Home Economics must be up and doing. They must be aware of current trends or needs and demands in knowledge related to the various Home Economics courses as it may apply to one’s experiences. Home Economics curricular must be in constant review to meet new challenges. If teachers knowledge must be improved to give the best, government must therefore have to keep on sponsoring adequate, relevant educational pursuits or projects and as well give adequate resources to run the related established institutions. Societal happenings do very much affect individuals and the family; family’s sources of income must improve.

In making a review, Home Economics has some dimensions as this:

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  Family and childcare
  
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  Home management
  
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  Clothing and textiles
  
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  Foods and nutrition
  

The above basic areas could be taught in its elementary stages until a child is well groomed to select an area of interest after secondary level of education if adequate teachers are available. At the moment, learning Home Economics starts only at the Secondary level of education and there, they only teach an area as Home Economics e.g. foods and nutrition, clothing and textiles or Home Management. Even the areas that are taught are not adequately financed nor are there adequate materials in the laboratory or the teachers are not even functional teachers that can teach all the required skills to expose students as may be required for entrepreneurship. Home Economics teachers should be well motivated and encouraged to teach. There is the need for adequate funding and furnishing of laboratories in relation to number of the admitted students to make learning functional or meaningful for self-reliance for both the family and community. Home Economics should keep abreast with the current trends in order to be rightly positioned to perform their roles.

Ene-bong (2009), stressed that Home Economcis researchers must work and collaborate with other researchers in relevant disciplines e.g. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), policy makers, industries and the general societies in order to help equip the family for self- reliance in the midst of the present problems facing our societies. Knowledge demands constant reviews and improvement to meet the personal needs, family needs and societal needs.

Home Economics programme and courses teach skills and theoretical knowledge thus a good base for their usage in entrepreneurship or business orientation for self reliance, family use or for the improvement of the community. Home Economists should make their knowledge real or functional to the benefit of self and others.

It is observed that it is only a minority of the Home Economics graduates that want to stand on their own or make improvement of the field. Most often majority rely on government jobs due to lack of resources for self business or have inadequate technical knowhow on job service.

As the socialization process is being shifted from the family to institutions e.g. schools, the church and the community, Home Economics teachers should integrate with the general educational systems, especially those that deal with the welfare of the families and individuals for self reliance.

In schools the ideas of Home Economics can be given right from the Nursery schools, through Primary schools and Secondary school level into the tertiary institutions. This will help inculcate the core family values, societal norms and generally accepted norms within a culture; it will also give the sense of dignity in handwork as well as theoretical learning as a means to functioning in life better (Ukpore, 1980).