Ms Maria Hickey:

From a practical point of view, many home economics teachers work as home-school liaison officers. They work with families, parents or mothers of students in schools, especially DEIS schools, to help them at home. When we teach children how to cook in class the children, in turn, can take those skills home. I often ask my pupils to bring me photographs of the meals that they have cooked. There already is a small integration of the cooking skills that have been learned in school into the home. There are home-school liaison positions available, particularly in DEIS schools. My school offers skills to the parents on different mornings where they come into the kitchen or where different things happen.

It is happening at some level, but more could be done.