We did Domestic Science for the first four years at senior school.
We had to take the ingredients and cooking dishes to school with us, in addition to the usual satchel full of books, and as I had a long bus ride and fair walk at either end I alway found it a chore, especially as my offerings were never really appreciated at home.
I had a very unfortunate incident with a drying cabinet, my clumpy shoes and everyone else's Chelsea buns.
Likewise Nellie - a long trek with all the paraphernalia for cooking, tins, apron (made in needlework in the 1st year), books etc.
There were a few mishaps in the lessons . The winter of 1963 was severe and long lasting with several inches of snow around for weeks - one cookery lesson whereby we were frying eggs and bacon etc went awfully wrong and a lot of meals (cough) ended up being thrown outside covered by snow .... Never heard anymore but we were never left alone again during cookery lessons. No non-stick pans or Popty Pings in those days LOL
I did domestic science as it was known but my son has never done anything like it. However he can cook really well. I've always encouraged him and he has a really good sense of both smell and taste. He can often pick out the ingredients by taste or by knowin a little about the dish.
He was still at school when Jamie Oliver started to become popular so I thought he might be inspired by JO but no. His celebrity chef inspirations were Gary Rhodes and more laterly Nigel Slater, Atul Kocher and Tom Kerridge.
Through loving to cook he has become a real foodie and for his 21st birthday he wanted to go to Atul Kocher's restaurant. And for my 50th he took me to Heston Blumenthal's place.
He's perfectly capable of following any recipe and his custard tart is amazing. For his 19th birthday he cooked chicken curry, Bombay potatoes, rice and naan bread for 12! I admit the naan bread were simply heated through and I was on hand if he needed me but I couldn't have done at 19.
I never did any cooking at school - I wanted to but wasn't allowed. (I had to do Latin!) Neither of my boys did any either - unless you count making chocolate cornflake cakes in primary school!
They are both quite capable in the kitchen though. I can't claim much credit as they resisted all my attempts to teach them and never cooked at home - then again, it's in their genes so maybe I can claim it! They both cooked a Christmas dinner for housemates/friends recently and no-one suffered! Elder son prefers not to cook if he can avoid it sometimes (he prefers not to do anything if he can avoid it!), but younger one plans his week, puts an order into Asda or wherever, and cooks all sorts of things. I never really did any when I was at home either, and mum was a bit worried when I went off to uni, but I blossomed when left to my own devices!
OH could cook when I first met him but, strangely, seems to have lost the ability since then. Very odd!