Grading the need for life lessons in college

Re “Real World 101: Colleges Teach Dining, Taxes, Life,” June 10

The subject matter mentioned in this article -- developing personal relationships, financial literacy, cooking and etiquette -- is all covered in the home economics careers and technology curriculum in California.

As a parent and a teacher in these subjects, I would encourage parents to find out if their high schools offer home economics courses. With proper planning, students should be able to find at least one semester in high school to take such a course. Parents will be content when their children are able to think, reason, make sound personal and financial decisions and eat healthily when they are away in college.

LAURIE PAOLOZZI

Teacher, West High School

Torrance

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OK, maybe we understand a need to cook occasionally after college, though we presume a graduate would already know how to read and follow a recipe without training. But would it make any sense to instead teach courses in some minor subjects such as parenting, ethics, conflict resolution and interpersonal relations?

DONALD AND DIANNE FUNK

Redondo Beach

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Those emerging nations that are graduating more engineers and scientists than we are had better watch out for us. Addressing global competition, some of our universities are now teaching water boiling and wine pouring so our little darlings can cope with that big bad world out there. Perhaps next will come nose wiping and remedial toilet training, along with advanced BMW selection, at which time The Times will let us know with another front-page article. Thank goodness the UC system is not using my tax dollars for this foolishness. Or is it?

MIKE HARVEY

Irvine