To expect my dd to bring her homework home rather than me having to print it off?

[Dancergirl]

Dd1 is in Year 5. At the meeting with the new teacher at the beginning of term, he talked about a website that the school are starting to use called www.showmyhomework.co.uk. I thought he said that homework would be given out in class but parents could log onto this site as a backup and it would show all the homework set and when it's due in etc.

However today dd asked to log into the site to print out her Maths homework! I asked if it had not been given out in class to which she replied no it hadn't and you were supposed to print it off at home.

I don't want to be petty but we only have one computer at home, the printer sometimes is a bit iffy and I don't want to use my paper for printing out homework.

Is this the norm these days? It's a state primary btw.

We don't have a printer, so if our school ever did this my DSs would be up a certain creek.

I'm a teacher, and none of my schools have done this, although I think DS's school is aiming to become 'paperless'.

tbh, I don't think schools can expect children to have computer access at home, any more than they can expect all parents to have a mobile phone (one school I worked in only informed of the snow closures by text )

Does it have to be printed out? Dd does hers online.

My DD is in Yr 8, and this is standard practice at her school. Last year I had to update the laptop with power point, which was an expense i hadn't budgeted for!

Sometimes my DD complets her homework in word, then she emails it to her teacher, so we don't waste any paper this end.

I do understand it is the schools way of saving money but why should we be expected to finance the paper and printer ink all the time?

The majority of my DD's homework is now computer based, however this encourages her to go on MSN/FB which I constanly have to police and has caused a rew rows in the past. Bring back proper homework.

Jumpforjoy - exactly. Let's face it, our children have enough screen time as it is without encouraging it. I know we are living in a technological age, there's no getting away from it, but first and foremost I want my children to read and write on PAPER.

As far as I can see, you can't do it online - you have to print it out, complete and hand it in.

With all teh cuts, it's an easy way to save money.

I hear that a lot of teachers have been told by headteachers they can't print or photocopy any longer, as there isn't the budget for it.

I think it's fair to write in to explain that this isn't appropriate, despite budget cuts, and that an alternative will be necessary.

This has just been introduced at DD2 school - so far not needed to print off but have to use computer to either see homework (used to paste it in homework book) or do an online activity. Apparantly there is one computer in school foyer if you don't have one (not sure when you can access this though)She is only 7 in year 2.

we don't have a printer either (although TBH we would get one by the time the kids start school)

it seems silly. schools can presumably buy paper in huge bulk for much less per sheet.

they could still use the website but maybe for HW that can be done by hand - i.e. read the questions on the site, but write the answers in pen.

This is ridiculous! I'm lucky that ds (year 5) doesn't get any homework other than reading, and even when he did a couple of years ago it was sent home on paper.

At home, dh has a computer upstairs with printer. I have a laptop downstairs, but trying to print anything off (which I have to do on the upstairs computer as it's the only one we have) is quite tricky and doesn't always work. If I had to print stuff off for ds all the time it would be a real problem.

What about families who don't have a computer at home (rare I know, but there must be a few about) or families where the only computer is used by parents for work most of the time?

Unfortunately local authroities are tied into ridiculous contracts for supplies so they pay ailly prices for just about everything.

an ideal way to cut expenditure in these grim times would be to let schools choose the cheapest supplier. Now that would make sense. Don;t think anyone's mentioned it.