Does the teaching of home economics skills have an economic payoff? The case of clothing construction

In recent years secondary schools have begun to view their home economics programs as an increasing marginal portion of their overall curricula. Because no payments are made for goods produced at home, gauging the economic value of taking a home economics class has been difficult for students, parents, and administrators. This paper illustrates the use of two frequently proposed valuation techniques to assess the economic gains of taking a home economics course. In the calculations, specific reference is given to the case of clothing construction. Implications for school resource allocations and curriculum development are discussed.