When sewing machines were replaced with microwaves and school budgets were cut while academic testing increased, the classic home economics classes mostly went by the wayside.

And though the ability to sew on a patch or prepare a casserole isn’t crucial to today’s living, the other lessons that were often taught in home ec have been sorely missed.

For years now, life lessons such as disciplining a child, making a family budget and setting personal goals have been absent from our schools.

It’s great to know that’s not the case this year at Natchez High School.

The school offers a regular class called family dynamics. Teacher Juanita Searcy uses her time with the students to facilitate discussions, point out real-life scenarios and invite adult examples of what life after high school may be like.

It’s a refreshing break from what has seemed like a never-ceasing focus on testable reading and math skills in schools across our country.

Realizing that life is about more than reading and math — both subjects that are crucial too — could get our schools back on the right track and better prepare our young people for life after graduation.

It’s great to see Natchez High offering the class, and we hope the students enrolled are not only learning life lessons but enjoying the topics as well.