The original course in home science has long been associated with girls, both in school and university. However, with the new course on family sciences, NCERT aims to do away with this stereotype and attract boys as well. ``Students usually think that home science is only about cooking. We want the course to shed this image. The new course has been designed on the basis of National Curriculum Framework 2005, keeping in mind both girls and boys,'' said Sushma Jaireth, reader, department of women's studies, NCERT.

The syllabus for the course has been approved and the text book is in the making. The first part, for Class XI, will give a holistic view and deal with issues of adolescence, adulthood and family values. The Class XII syllabus will focus on specialisation. Usha Ram, principal, Laxman Public School agreed, ``Boys in our school were keen to join home science. Now, with a broader approach, the new course will be valued more. We have to see how it takes off.''

NCERT may have done its bit by adding commercial value to the original course, it does not have many options at the university level as most colleges offering home science are only for girls. ``Students can pursue a lucrative career after studying this course in school. For universities, it's time they introduced changes,'' said Jaireth.