To be annoyed about parents being set homework

[Snowfire]

Over half term my DD was set homework to take 2 photos per day (18 in all) of things she did over half term and take them in for a project to be done over the next couple of weeks. So, each day when we did something I would snap a pic on my phone or she would take a pic with my camera on days I had to work. It seemed like a nice variation on writing about what they did in the holidays and was quite fun.
However, on Sunday when I came to printing them out, it seemed like a rather unfair expense (18 sheets of photo paper plus ink) and wondered about how some less well off families would feel about it. On Monday after school, DD said that the teacher actually wanted the photos to still be in digital format so needed them to be either on a memory stick or disc (wasted photo paper!) and as I don't have a spare memory stick I tried to put them on disc, having never done this before I wasted a couple of discs before managing to put the relevent photos in an album and transfer to a disc (quite chuffed with myself for that). yesterday DD said that the photos had come up as a slide show and this wasn't what he wanted so could I do it again? AIBU??

Dear Teacher,

I am 35 years old [insert your age] and you are therefore not allowed to set me homework or commandeer my electronic equipment for the purposes thereof.

I thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Yours etc,
Snowfire

Actually I am not against ICT in schools I was being a bit facetious however I do think that primary school should be about the core subjects for example spelling and maths and building a base in core subjects for secondary.
The point is you can learn to upload a photograph anytime and from practically anyone;parent,sibling,friend however you're only likely (in most cases)to learn about the Tudors ,or lake formation or algebra at school.

I also think that you underestimate how sensitive children after the age of 8 can be to having to admit that they don't have access to certain equipment at home .My very brave and confident 9 year old would be mortified and would probably rather be told off than have to ask to borrow the school camera.Also I doubt most schools would lend a camera for fear of it being lost broken or not returned.

The point about mobile phones and trainers is that not having them is not going to cause a problem in class because presumably a teacher isn't going to single you out for not having them,that's the point here it is the teacher making you feel embarrassed for not having something not hour peer group and that is wrong .Also I know lots of parents who are not very computer literate and would feel nervous about this

OP, to look on the bright side - so now YOU know how to do this!

the teacher appears to be assuming an awful lot ie that you have internet access a digital phone printer memory sticks etc and that you are it minded and able to do these thingsnot everybody can afford or has access to allthese thingsand i would have told him so

X2boys that was my point we have all these things but more than 20% of population dont also mrs woodentops point it is very different not having stuff your perers have teacher is supposed to at least try and stop bullying teasing regarding this is aware but what does a child do when teacher asks who cant do this as they dont have PC at home
any homewrok should be that everyone can do with stuff sent home from school the worksheet exercise book etc also I think all homework is something that child can do alone with parental support not parental assistance, it is parents job to ensure child has space and time to do homework clear kitchen table for 30 mins with no noise, check what has to be done and make sure it is completed in reasonable time frame, if given 10 spellings on monday to learn for friday thats reasonable , to ask to build a model norman castle on friday for monday is not
I also think that sometimes those of us that can afford stuff should still fit these battles for the benfit of the less well off who feel embarrassed about it, it is being kind in the long term

so there should be no homework that involves use of a pc? you can use a pc in the library?

the same if they set homework for research usin books, you would have to still o to library?

but research in the library would require assistance as you would have to take your kid to library, so that is not acceptable either?

At primary level no there should not. At secondary level only if school computers are available.

Librsries are closing everywhere and computer access at them is often limited.

The homework my 7 year old ds had was to be done over a weekend when libraries were closed.

personally i do not think primary kids should have any homework apart from maybe reading a few spellings and times tables, nether I nor my sisters had any at that age and all managed to arrive at secondary school well ahead and go to uni

for older children yes homework can involve PC as they can go to libaray themselves but ideally should use school computers

on the other hand I am influenced by the fact we live rurally so for anyone in village school without PC nearest library is 9 miles away and it shuts early so going after school not an option and shuts at 12 on saturday so would have to go 9-12 saturday am, I just think that when setting homework it should be something everyone can do because the ones that can not access these things are often the very ones that need the most help and support and it just goes on increasing the gaps in education

We have PC and if we did not because i care deeply about education i would take DD to library or whatever but what i am saying is there are plenty of parents that are not that committed a thread earlier that 30% of children live in homes with no books and 23% no access to internet that is a high percentage, in a class of 30 that is 9 and 7 children respectively

so nailak while I do not think the very occasional project can involve PC etc it should not be the norm, for many teachers if they could get the parents just to read with their children they would be very grateful,

I see so many inequalities in health due to poverty and they are there in education even more so and outlandish & expensive homework is not helping

I agree with OP its totally YANBU to not want to spend holidays doing school projects its a holiday not a school night, I would just write in and say we do not do homework in holidays; and what business is it of the school what she did on holiday anyway

I never did homework in holidays except christmas holidays before mock O and A levels and the easter/ whit week holidays in the same year