What do you think about no Homework?

MathsMadMummy- That's not patronizing at all, don't worry. Thank you.
I agree with you about worksheets. Sometimes I could tell that teachers had set homework that was deliberately easy for them to set and grade. During GCSEs I appreciated such worksheets because any practice like that was good revision. In like, Year 8 or something it just seemed like a time-filler. Even though it's supposed to be the easy year "where you don't do anything", I got so much homework in Year 8. I used to pretend to be ill every few months to stay at home and catch up.

Moving on, I didn't actually mind worksheets as much as some other homeworks. It was much worse when the teachers thought it was acceptable to give twenty difficult A* trigonometry questions meant for the following day. I would do it first, neglecting other homework because I give priority to the subjects with most threatening teachers. Then the next day I'd have the maths done, and the teacher didn't even collect it in that day. If I bother to do it, I want them to bother to mark it.
If he set less homework less often, I would probably have actually attempted every one, rather than 'forgetting my book' a few days a week. In theory his method of shoving as much maths on us as possible should have worked, but I don't think it really did.

Although everyone tends to complain about them, projecty type homework where you do your own research are way more productive than worksheets or rote learning tasks. In my Primary school(which I see now was actually an amazing school. I wish I was still there!) we had a project in Year 5 or 6 about the desert or the rainforest. We could choose. I chose the desert and I spent weeks reading books and using the ol' dial-up internet to complete the project. It was really interesting and I enjoyed it. It was good because you could go in any direction you wanted, like, some people concentrated on the animals that lived there etc etc. I still remember stuff about the desert, while I've already forgotten all my GCSE Science, for example. Sadly the system crushed my enthusiasm for geography and deserts and I didn't choose it for GCSE. I wish I had now though because I'm embarrassingly ignorant about where countries are located.

I prefer to learn for the next lesson rather than finish previous work at home.

I'd better finish this post now. Admittedly it's a bit strange I even post on Mumsnet at all. =P

DustDustDust - as a 16yo (and if I may say so, without wishing to sound all patronising, a very articulate one!) how do you feel about all the worksheet-type homeworks? did you get them in your school? my stepdaughters do and it drives me up the wall. it's just laziness from the teacher IMO. the only thing they learn from them is how to use process of elimination to fill in the blanks

anyway I do think regular homework for maths/languages is important. particularly in maths I found, even now as I'm doing my degree, the only way for me to really learn a process is to practise practise practise. although at my school we also had bigger projects - we were doing maths coursework, GCSE-style, from year 7, which needless to say I adored!

but for other subjects a self-directed learning thing could be really great, in history, geography etc. I'm really in favour of autonomous education (in fact we would homeschool our DCs in a heartbeat, if school didn't work out for them). I feel it can maintain or even spark a love of learning that more traditional methods (especially with all the govt box-ticking etc) can crush

I think it may be one of those things though, that takes a few years to settle in. suddenly being told 'you're not having proper homework' could result in a 'well I'm not doing anything then' from some students. but students coming into the school over the next few years would be accustomed to it IYSWIM.

I hope that if you do this trial, OP, you will keep us updated on it!

Although, yes, daphne, one block project is useless for some subjects, especially languages. But I think too much homework can destroy any child's interest in a subject. 10 new vocab words a week is enough for languages, I think, and even then only at about age 14. Until then, I think it's counterproductive. (I speak 5 languages)

I think no homework is a great idea. I remember not being given homework until I was 14, when we had to start studying for GCSEs.When I got to uni I wasn't burned out and my thirst for knowledge was still intact.

DH is Japanese and they're homework obsessed here. They go to "cram schools" from an early age to cram. He studied so much, got into one of the best unis in Japan...and hasn't picked up a book since he graduated. He's just not interested in learning for pleasure.

I'm a languages teacher and have just been working in a school where Year 7 only had one project-type homework a year. In the case of languages, this homework was supposed to last 2-3 weeks just before Christmas. In my opinion, it was the most rubbish idea ever!

When learning languages, pupils need little and often. They need to learn vocabulary and grammar on a regular basis and, like maths, to complete tasks to consolidate work done in class.

MY DD (just finished Yr 8) would have far preferred this to a lot of the homework that she did get. The only thing that would bother me would be maths - I can see that the homework she gets there is very useful in consolidating the knowledge she had gained in class and I think possibly without the repetition she wouldn't have had such a strong grasp on the concepts.
Otherwise, yes, most of her homework is a waste of space.
What subject do you teach?

I think it sounds great. (By the way, I'm 16 and occasionaly stalk Mumsnet to laugh at the 'Teenagers' section)
I have and would always be happy to do preparation and research type homework. It makes sense to set things like that. I enjoy doing extra reading to find out more about subjects I might even dislike.
Through the past few years, I've found homework very restricting, and not particularly helpful in my education. For example, my GCSE Maths teacher would set homework nearly every lesson and it would take hours to finish. I realise that repetition is the best way to learn maths, but the amount he gave was unnecessary. As a result, I would just do no maths work at all. It was very counter-productive.

During the run-up to GCSEs(and not a moment before, the teachers slacked off on the homework a bit. I always put the time I saved to good use doing revision, reading French books/set texts, or on internet revision sites. I would have done this(albeit with less frequency) even if there were no upcoming exams.

I think it would be a great school policy if homework was abolished/the amount lessened. People assume that all teenagers and children will hold this opinion, but it's because we have a point, not 'cuz we're lazy.

So yeah, go for it. Even if you choose not to continue this after the trial, I've always thought it would be good if the teachers had some sort of 'homework rota'. I always felt cheated when I had no homework for almost a whole week, and then six separate ones dumped on me on a Friday. There should be a limit on the amount, frequency, and when it's given in relation to other subjects.

Brilliant inside info for you there, anyway. ;D

sounds like an interesting idea. but without wishing to sound snobby it really depends what kind of school you're at IYSWIM.

my old school - superselective grammar blah blah blah - those free projects would be brilliant as it's the kind of stuff a lot of the geekier kids (inc. me!) would do for fun anyway.

my DSDs school - nope. the kids there would just do fuck all I expect, as most of them do fuck all anyway. mind you the homework they do set is stupid and pointless - "just for the sake of it" as you say. worksheets galore etc.

but hey - if it's only a one term trial, go for it and see what happens!

I am a serious homework sceptic, and don't agree with it at all for primary school children. However, I wobble a bit in secondary school. I do think though that this is because it's only homework that gives me any idea of what my year 9 - soon to be year 10 - dd is doing. If I'm honest it's for my benefit rather than hers!

I suppose the other thing that would concern me is essay writing. How would you make sure they had practice at that?