HOME SCIENCE—WITH A DIFFERENCE

NZ Truth, Issue 1195, 25 October 1928, Page 19

HOME SCIENCE— WITH A DIFFERENCE

UOME science of ol.d.en days used to be rather a dreadful period, when little girls m white' aprons learned.to make the most undesirable kinds of milk arrowroot — or worse— r-ever designed to send prospective husbands fleeing m all directions. Home science as interpreted, by Miss A. Rennie, who has charge of 4hat, department m the Wellington Technical Colleges, is a very- different matter— both a fascinating pursuit and a useful one.- . ."-' .

Miss Ren hie, a dainty and charming little lady, was for a long time .m charge of the cookery branch at the Wellington Girls' College. She left there to visit America, where she took a* refresher course m home science at the Columbia University, the largest m the world— 37,000 students. and 2500 teachers attending there. From this splendid place, Miss Rennie acquired most of her new ideas, but she also studied methods m the 'colleges of England and, France, and understands the subtle art of French coffee-making.

."America's social scientists teach us to look on untrained labor as the cause of all unemployment," she said; "the trained man or woman', always fits m. Arid the household arts course which I took shows the j home woman how to rumher, home successfully, eliminate drudgery and and make of home life the happy thing it was meant to be. We -we're taught to ''-.economise.-. in. everything, even with the number of movements we made m baking a cake. It sounds small, but when the end of the day finds one , fresh and untired, fit to take an interest m one's children and join m little recreations, one learns to appreciate the course. 7

"American girls 'budget' their earnings. This, means that they cover, their necessities and always have a little over, for luxuries. If the housekeeping 1 'woman did the same, she would be able to get together enough motley for some of the labor-saying devices which make life .so. much lighter and brighter. In America I met many women who were housekeeping and carrying on, a career at the same time— and ' both. successfully.. ' • , ■ ''-.'M- 'can't; 'speak too highly of the American trade schools; a girl can enter one and come: out a finished tradeswoman, ready to take, charge of .a department. The girls who take millinery are taught windowdressing and hoW little sales at which members of the staff are the the .customers. Trained Women, and graduates from the university, find getting employment. an easy matter m America, where, even for irianual labor, education; is treated with the highest respect. At one school m Canada, the building class built an entire house m the basement and the electrical engineering class put m all the wiring.;

' "But' Niew'iearand is going ahead wonderfully. Do you know that we are having a cafeteria built by student labor up at this college? When it isjfinished we will be able to provide hot meals for all the students.. J ust 7 now, my. classes provide hot dinner,- at the charge. of sixpence,; for. over 7two hundred children. They cook things so nicely andit takes all the worry of cutting lunches, off the mothers' minds. When the Japanese Fleet vvas here, the girls prepared lunch for the. officers arid .were. so anxious that they should like it. They needn't have worried. The'officers simply cleared the plates.

"I believe, too, m teaching the children how to serve meals 1 as well as to prepare them. Hospital nurses come here to learn something about; diet-— which knowledge, by the -way, our hospitals sadly need. . I should- love; to have a special course for girls who wanted to open .tea-rooms, but perhaps thatwilj come some d.ay v

"The. Victorian woman, had her .stillroorm Well, our girls make all their .bwn^ essences and colorings, l their own .candied peel, pickles, preserves and' jams, arid they learn how to- preserve every sort of fruit arid vegetable when it is at ;its7 best, .pur eggs , come from a farm; 'Spm'eiirjieß^the';-glrlß';.gp marke\ing and bVing' back what vegetables we rieedi\ . -7-" .'•' ■;• :.'.-• "' J •

.'.' "I believe there are. four sides to the subject of food— -first, nutrition ; second, .daintiness; third, its- social aspect; and. fourth, the .economic side. Our. riew Zealand ;girls should be instructed m each one bflthese ----and' not only the girls, but, the older women who 7 are still, young enough to dream -of a Happy^and comfortable home."; ■':'";'.'