Don’t marginalise Home Economics - Minister

Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister, said it was imperative that young people were taught Home Economics at the basic school levels, to enable them become good home managers in the future.

He said as a nation, we should review the programmes offered by institutions of higher learning and realign them with the needs of industries.

He said the importance of Home Economics as a discipline could not be overemphasised, but expressed some reservations that the discipline had been marginalised not only in Ghana, but across other countries.

It was therefore crucial to organise forums and deliberate on issues and adopt pragmatic measures to highlight the importance of home economics in the socio-economic development.

Alhaji Sulemana was addressing members of the Home Economics Association, students and pupils from second cycle and basic schools in Wa, to mark World Home Economics Day celebrations.

The Day was on the theme; “Home Economics Literacy- Skills for Family and Consumers”.

The Regional Minister urged members of the Association to sensitise the public and disabuse their minds on how they perceived the profession to enable people better appreciate the discipline and encourage many more people to go into the profession.

He said Home Economics drew from a range of disciplines to achieve optimal and sustainable living for individuals, families and communities.

Alhaji Sulemana said “You should also challenge yourselves to make the profession more self-employable, create jobs and wealth for the people”.

He said what the Association should be seen as doing was to encourage young people going to the universities and polytechnics to venture into fields like home economics, whose professionals were in short supply.

He said the home economics profession had been dominated by women and there was the need to take concrete steps to encourage men into the field.

"Let me urge you to discuss this issue at length and offer practical ways of encouraging young males to develop interest in home economics as a profession," he added.

“I want to encourage all of you to continue to contribute your quota to national development in your respective areas, in order to transform the lives of our people,” he said.

Madam Lucy Kokro, a role model in Home Economics, said the subject was an all embracing one, which in every aspect could be developed for self-employment.