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ABSTRACT
A survey of 50 secondary schools in England and Wales reveals that, once a choice is offered in the curriculum, only a minority of boys is likely to study home economics, the main reason being the prevalence of the belief that certain forms of knowledge are appropriate to the education of one sex only. Of the strategies adopted in the schools to secure equality of opportunity in this area it is contended that the ‘unlocked’ and ‘open door’ policies, relating mainly to administrative measures, are unlikely to bring about significant change. Preferable approaches are those of the ‘special escalator’ type, which are essentially concerned with re‐education and the eradication of unjustifiable doctrines. It is also suggested that more attention could be paid to ‘equal outcomes’ policies by virtue of which schools monitor the effectiveness of the methods they use to achieve an equitable balance of boys and girls in each optional course.