Away from the cooker and on to the books?

Why are traditional home economics lessons no longer up to date?

Today, food should be as quick and healthy as possible. Many women work and don't have time to spend long hours at the cooker. At the same time, many people are watching their waistlines. Curriculum 21 adapts home economics lessons to the modern world: In WAH, pupils learn to cook dishes that are healthy, tasty and on the table in 30 minutes.

Are there no more treats?

Yes, we don't work with prohibitions. Of course, the children also learn to treat themselves to something in between. True to the motto: less is more.

What exactly will change with the new WAH subject?

The second and third graders who are new to this subject cook less and learn more theory. For example, they learn about food names such as light and gluten-free and labels such as organic and Fairtrade, follow the journey of a pair of jeans from production to the clothes rack, find out how a price is created, how to handle money and deal with forms of nutrition, eating disorders and food intolerances.

Aren't questions relating to consumer decisions more a matter for parents?

No. I think it's the school's job to explain this. In maths, pupils also study percentages and interest rates, so we can start there directly. What's more, not all parents discuss the working conditions under which their children's Nike shirts were made. They learn about this in theory lessons.

Does more theory also mean more exams?

No, not necessarily. But I do give the pupils practical homework to encourage them to cook at home. For example, everyone has to prepare a salad of their choice and bring a photo of it. The parents note on a worksheet how the dish tasted and whether the kitchen was tidied up independently. In this way, the pupils get to know their kitchen and the parents learn to hand over responsibility.

Do some parents struggle with this?

I've already heard that a teenager wasn't allowed in the kitchen because his mum was worried about the new furniture. But that's rare. But you can tell who is interested and helps out with the cooking at home from time to time. The parents set a good example. A pupil once said: «Why should I tidy up? My wife will do that later.»

«I make cooking and cleaning appealing to the boys by telling them that they are very popular with women. That motivates them.»

Manuela Janik

And what did you say in response?

I said: «Let me know when you've found them.» I often make cooking and cleaning appealing to the boys by telling them that it makes them popular with the women. That motivates them.

How do you motivate young people with learning difficulties for the theory-based lessons?

With them, I reduce the material a little and incorporate small games, short films or a quiz. However, they are always happy to be allowed into the school kitchen. A young person who is very exhausting in theory lessons and also has to go outside in other theory subjects really blossoms during practical cooking.

How could lessons for such pupils be organised in a more practical way?

For example, visiting extracurricular learning centres, such as a waste incineration plant or a look behind the scenes at McDonald's. This allows the young people to get out and see the things we go over in theory lessons with their own eyes.

You also show alternative foods to sugar or cream in your lessons and on your food blog. Can you give us some examples?

You can replace household sugar with dates or very ripe bananas, for example, cream with soya or coconut cream and finely ground cashew nuts can be used instead of grated cheese.

What I definitely don't want to hear is a «wow!» or «fie!». After all, it's also about appreciating the work of your classmates.

Manuela Janik

And how do you manage to make black chocolate or sugar-free foods palatable to the pupils?

For example, I explain to them that the brownies are only really chocolatey with dark, cocoa-rich chocolate. Or if they want to add sugar somewhere, I say: «Why don't you try it without or with less sugar first?»

How do you deal with tricky pupils?

They should try at least one spoonful, after which they can always say it's not their thing. But what I definitely don't want to hear is a «wow!» or «ugh!». After all, it's also about appreciating the work of your classmates.

What do you hope to gain from WAH lessons?

I hope that the children take as much as possible from this real-life subject for their future and can draw on this knowledge when making purchasing decisions later on.

WAH - Economy-Work-Household in Curriculum 21:

Economy-Work-Household replaces the subject Home Economics at secondary level 1 in Curriculum 21. It has been introduced or is currently being introduced in the cantons of Appenzell, Basel, Bern, Fribourg, Glarus, Graubünden, Lucerne, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Schwyz, Solothurn, St. Gallen, Thurgau, Uri and Zurich.

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