Story: Primary and secondary education

Preparing girls for their future roles as wives and mothers was the aim behind the introduction of compulsory home science in 1917. In many girls' schools this replaced or dominated other science subjects. The nurse-like uniforms worn by the girls in this cooking class of 1939 show how seriously the subject was taken. From 1942, with the introduction of a core secondary curriculum, home science was no longer compulsory for all girls.