Home Economics is a practical subject that teaches students essential life skills for everyday living. It focuses on a number of areas such as food and nutrition, health and wellbeing, resource management, consumer studies, textiles and being able to prepare healthy nutritious meals.
The skills focused on in this subject prepares student for independent living in their future. The practical element of this subject includes cooking and baking, textile embellishments, budgeting and meal planning. This subject also focuses on sustainability including the importance of reducing food waste and upcycling clothing and textile items to reduce global warming and harmful effects on the environment.
Home Economics is taught through hands-on practical work, group activities, and theory-based learning. Lessons are interactive and student-centred, the subject encourages students’ creativity, and real-life application. Students learn by doing such as having live demonstrations on how to prepare meals and designing and creating textile pieces.
The Junior Cycle is 50% a written exam and 50% a cooking practical exam.
CBA: Students complete two Classroom-based assessments in Junior Cycle
CBA 1: This focuses on designing and making a textile item
CBA 2: Food Literacy Skills Brief- This focuses on researching, preparing, cooking and evaluating dishes.
At Junior Cycle, the focus is on developing basic skills and introducing key concepts that will prepare them for their future. Students explore a variety of topics and improve their cooking skills. At Senior Cycle, the subject builds on the knowledge from Junior Cycle and goes into further detail with more emphasis on food science, nutrition, consumer studies and social studies. Students are expected to apply their knowledge in more complex ways. The Leaving Certificate includes 20% practical coursework.
The subject allows students to enter a wide range of careers, including nutrition, hospitality, education, and health sciences.