The case for more home economics classes

Like many people, once I established my own home away from my parents and started my own job, I started to think about how my education had failed me. Yes, I had many years of dedicated schooling around math and science and communications, but some basics alluded me. I knew how to cook, for example, (thanks, Mom!), but I didn't know how to use a drill (I should have taken shop class). I could balance my checkbook, but didn't have the first clue of how to do my own taxes (clearly this was before we had online banking).

I thought that instead of making government and economics the required classes for graduating in my state, students would have been better off with a beefed-up version of home economics that somehow also taught basic home maintenance.

As it turns out, home economics classes (or as they are often referred to today - family and consumer sciences classes) are so popular today that they can't find enough good teachers - especially in the Midwest.

The article also points out how much the classes have evolved over the years: not only are they now popular with both genders, but they have practical applications to real life. So, a home economics class taught to city students may not be the same for rural students, but all students are still taught how to make a budget.

What elective did I take instead of home economics?
Typing.

If you could go back to school and take a class you missed out on, what would it be? Tell me in the comments.