ABSTRACT
Prior to the introduction of the National Curriculum there was a marked lack of direct reference to home economics in official documents. Two publications in 1981 which were concerned with the whole school curriculum and the current debate about its content and structure at that time did have relevance to the position of food in the school curriculum. It is interesting to note, however, that of the two craft-based practical subjects traditionally taught to boys and girls, home economics, unlike craft design technology (CDT), was not mentioned in either document. The Practical Curriculum (DES, 1981a) simply discussed learning through experience’ and noted that ‘cooking’ allowed children to acquire from an early age scientific and mathematical experience through ‘making things’. The School Curriculum (DES, 1981b) referred to CDT as part of the preparation for living and working in modern industrial society and microelectronics but made no mention of home economics in a similar context.
