Classification of educational subject matter: the case of Home Economics

Abstract

Although it represents an individual view, this article was submitted to the Department of Education by the Cape Higher Education Consortium (CHEC) as an outcome of the review of the field of Home Economics in the Western Cape region. By presenting some history, it argues that the category of Home Economics is no longer a meaningful one, but that certain subjects and programmes that are reported on under this category (CESM 10) are nevertheless highly significant. Therefore the continued use of the term Home Economics tends to distort the nature of these offerings, and possibly devalues them in the process. The article concludes with some suggestions for a reclassification, and more generally, suggests that the whole set of CESM categories needs to be reviewed.


South African Journal of Higher Education Vol.18(2) 2004:163-171