In the states, it was around until the '60s, at least, except ours was called "manual arts". I remember how "enlightened" my school was considered, since Junior year (the second to final year for you UKers, age 16 or so) the girls all got wood and auto shop and the boys got typing, cooking and sewing in their manual arts classes for half the year. Ah, how times have changed. {For the better, for the better...don't hit!}