While in High School, I took wood shop, metal shop and home economics (mostly cooking class).
The home ec class was a blast since I was the only guy in the class. I already knew how to cook, so I was there to meet girls. It worked.
Learned quite a few life skills in my first few years in the Army. 2nd Lts get hit with a lot when they arrive at their first assignment. I was fortunate, though, my platoon sergeants were all great.
My Dad was an exec and always had secretaries to take his dictation and write his documents. He never touched a computer or keyboard in his life. Yet he made me take typing in 11th grade summer school (around 1968). Like you, I was the only boy in the class!
He always said that “typing is going to be an important skill to master.” It’s amazing he could see that coming so many years before the advent of PCs. Only a couple years later, I was typing out IBM 360 punch cards in college and did that skill ever come in handy! To this day, I can still touch-type. Thanks, Dad!
We had wood shop in 7th grade and metal shop in 8th grade. I still remember those classes very fondly and have one project we made in that wood shop class.
My son took a cooking class in HS. Just out of curiosity I asked him why he took cooking.
He gave two good answers.
1. He likes to eat and they got to eat their class projects.
2. “Mama won’t be around to cook for me forever.”
He now lives on his own and is a pretty darned good cook. Better than me.
My other son took the shop classes and can do any type of work needed around a house. BUT he can only cook hamburgers. I’m slowly working on his culinary skills.