I took this class in school. Anyone else?

Yes, we had these classes when I was in High School, and I took the Auto Mechanics class...which fostered my life long interest in doing most of my own maintenance. Somewhere along the line, these kinds of classes were eliminated from the curriculum, and I think that was a mistake. There are all sorts of "Blue Collar" good paying jobs out there, and not everyone needs to go to college. I think the "trades" need to be brought back into our education systems. Around here, about the only classes offered in mechanics, etc., are at our junior/community colleges.
 

It wasn't offered in our school but we did have a variety of basic shop courses like woodworking, sheet metal, printing, and welding. We also had home economics which covered cooking, sewing, childcare, budgeting, etc...

Some of the kids that were serious about learning a trade were bused to a centralized county facility that offered a wide variety of options.

The high school shop programs are gone, too dangerous! I'm not sure if home economics is still offered.

The advanced county program still exists with a wide variety of traditional skilled trades and some new programs for technology-based careers.
 
old medic said:
Graduated High School with a double Major in auto Mechanics, Went in the service as a Mechanic....
Got out and worked construction until I got my Medic....
About ready to retire
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You had a double major in high school? When I was in college, I had a double major, but I took two “different” majors.

I never took any mechanic classes, but I did learn from my dad and hands on. My b-i-l and I completely restored a 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS. At car shows that I go to, if I get to talking with someone about their car, I still tell the story about while we were working on the car one night, my b-i-l said he had enough and gave it up for the night. I wanted to finish hooking up the linkage on the carburetors and here it is, 3:30 in the morning and I was looking for a five cent Jesus pin. We had hundreds of different types of pins and clips and I couldn’t find one lousy little Jesus pin. Finally, just before 4 o’clock, I gave up. A few days later, we made plans to work on the car one night and I walked up to my tool box and right there on top of my tool cart was a small pack of Jesus pins. Damn! I couldn’t believe it. That’s what fatigue will do to a person.
 
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Back in "the day", that was for boys only. Home economic classes were for girls only.

Now, in the schools that offer Industrial Arts, I understand quite a few girls are in the classes. I think Home Ec classes have pretty much disappeared.

I'd like to see a curriculum of classes called "PREPARATION FOR LIFE". Things like how to put air in your tires, how to check your oil and other fluids, how to cook simple recipes, how to shop for bargains, how to repair the hinges on a cabinet, how to paint walls, replace blinds, sew on a button, fix a zipper, etc. Good for both boys and girls.
 
win231 said:
My high school didn't have auto shop - only wood shop, metal shop & electric shop.
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Same here. Then, about five years after I graduated, our first Vocational Technical school opened. At first, the schools were sending all their troublemakers to this school and that’s how they got the title of “Slow-Tech,” instead of Vo-Tech. Today, a student has to apply, have a good behavior record in their current school and be at least a 2.0 (C) student. They do not tolerate fighting, smoking, drugs or any other similar behavior. It’s a different school from when it first opened. But, yes, they have auto mechanics and body shop.

I allowed them to work on my old van. They stripped and painted it and put on new decorative tape across the bottom. The body shop I tried wanted $3800.00 ten years ago. I paid the school $1700.00 and also gave the class a pizza party. I did have to sign a release to hold them harmless if they messed it up. That made me stop and think, but I thought, “What the heck.”
 
jujube said:
Back in "the day", that was for boys only. Home economic classes were for girls only.

Now, in the schools that offer Industrial Arts, I understand quite a few girls are in the classes. I think Home Ec classes have pretty much disappeared.

I'd like to see a curriculum of classes called "PREPARATION FOR LIFE". Things like how to put air in your tires, how to check your oil and other fluids, how to cook simple recipes, how to shop for bargains, how to repair the hinges on a cabinet, how to paint walls, replace blinds, sew on a button, fix a zipper, etc. Good for both boys and girls.
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Well, it looks like we had the same "day" lol !
The catch is, it continues to bug me, and is still the reason I've never owned a car: the concern I'd get out in the middle of nowhere someplace, it'd konk out, and I'd have no idea what was wrong with it. Even cell phone isn't a solution, as I've heard mechanics often take advantage of people they can see know nothing.

The dopiest part of it, from my POV, was during my last years in high school, girls were finally allowed to take wood shop and metal shop- using all kinds of power tools, and even this: https://sciencing.com/how-to-weld-oxy-acetylene-12438728.html Yet they didn't think we needed even the basics of car maintenance/repair!! Even Driver's Ed didn't teach how to change a tire, what brake fluid is, etc.
 
I wanted to take Shop class in grade 9, but was told it's only for boys. Hope that has changed. I always was better at making things, than cooking. When they gave those tests that determine where your strengths lie, my marks were high in mechanics.
 
No but took Home Economics and Workshop (woodworking) . I made a fold up fishing stool and some others things which I gave to my parents. They are currently in my living room now.( the projects that is)
 
I wish they were more vocational training programs available for students in high school, many students could then graduate from high school and go right to work.
 
Curriculums in my day and area were also gender-biased, with males required to take "Shop," and females made to take "Home Economics." I learned to use hand and power tools to make hideous lamps and crooked bookcases; the girls learned cooking and sewing, you know, useful stuff! Apparently it was then thought that those of the male gender would always be able to find a compliant female who would hasten to prepare them a meal. I've made little with my "Shop" skills, having learned that lamps and bookcases may be bought at Walmart. I learned cooking piecemeal on my own, suffering many gastronomic calamities. Perhaps I will someday learn to sew on a button... :)
 
I never took mechanical courses in HS, we didn't have them. I used to work on my cars, way back in the day, when they were $300 specials. You & a buddy got a green Chilton's book, and it took you step by step. We even took a rear axle apart and put it back together. We had only 3 bolts left over. It ran. But that was when cars weren't built like stop watches. They were simple compared to today's computer driven cars.

I wanted to take typing in HS. But I wasn't allowed. Typing class was open only to girls. The nun told me that my secretary would do all my typing. I'm 73, and still waiting for her to show up.
 
In my day (OMG, did I just say that) girls normally did not take auto shop or wood shop. WE got stuck with typing, shorthand and Home Economics. I would have loved to take wood shop. I do not think we were not allowed, just not encouraged.
 
We had all of the above in high school and girls WERE allowed to take Shop and boys WERE allowed to take Home Ec. Not many did though. Then,my Senior year,they created a class they called F.E.A.S.T.-I can`t remember what it stood for but was basically a culinary arts class. As many boys as girls enrolled.

Our high school here,although very small (400 students),does have Shop classes and last year built an entire building for Culinary Arts. Started off rocky when the teacher they hired quit the day before classes were to start. But a local chef stepped in and teaches it and has been a great fit.
 
I too am of the boys-shop and girls-home ec. vintage. We did have wood shop and a jalopy shop where we were allowed to work on our own cars.

The Navy issued all new sailors a sewing kit and gave classes on basic uniform maintenance and repair. I have called on that training frequently in my travels through life. I can sew on a new button and deal with a damaged trouser hem with the best of them.
 
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Llynn said:
I too am of the boys-shop and girls-home ec. vintage. We did have wood shop and a jalopy shop where we were allowed to work on our own cars.

The Navy issued all new sailors a sewing kit and gave classes on basic uniform maintenance an repair. I have called on that training frequently in my travels through life. I can sew on a new button and deal with a damaged trouser hem with the best of them.
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My later father-in-law learned how to knit in the Merchant Marines. We have a beautiful afghan that he knitted .. nicer than any afghan I've ever made. He also used the sewing machine.
 
I believe the girls had to take Home Ec. at my jr. high. I enjoyed it although I really messed up on making a dress...:p I'm glad I got to take that class and always had wanted to be a mother and housewife. I thought about taking an auto mechanics class a few years ago so I could do some repairs on my car. Never did.
 

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