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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think two hours homework a night is not excessive for a year 10 pupil

438 replies

Challenger5 · 03/10/2022 20:49

DD 1 is adamant that two hours a night homework, is against her human rights. She has been stomping around, refusing to start her homework. DD 1 is being exceptionally rude to me swearing at me for sending her to a prison camp and claiming to be-having a nervous breakdown due to the schools expectations.

I am trying to calm her down and reason with her, that two hours a night is quite proportionate for a year 10 girl at a Grammar School. This especially as the school as stated her target grades are 7-9 in all ten GCSE subjects.

She has also informed me that her head of year as given her a after school detention, today for calling her English teacher a 'mean cow' for a poor homework mark. DD denies calling the teacher that, saying she was misheard when she pulled her face at the teacher.

DD is saying the detention is unfair and against her human rights because it is grossly an excessive punishment even if she had accidentally muttered 'mean cow' when the teacher spoke to her. DD argues that her face pulling was justified because someone has to stand up against the schools unrealistic and unreasonable levels of homework demanded.

OP posts:
MarshaBradyo · 03/10/2022 21:03

That’s too much agree with pp

Germolenequeen · 03/10/2022 21:03

It's definitely too much 🤨

user1471598758 · 03/10/2022 21:04

Personally I think any homework beyond reading/researching/revising is too much, and that kids should be in control of how much of that they do themselves and suffer their own consequences, but never be made to do it.
However the powers that be in education don’t agree with me😂 I’m afraid 2 hours a night is standard in most secondaries I would think. Mine tries to stick to 30 mins in year 7, 1 hr in year 8, 1 hr 30 in year 9, 2hr in year 10, so it builds up to that point.

Sarasandman · 03/10/2022 21:04

Come to think of it, I called my teachers worse names. They called us worse first, though! "Mean cow" sounds mild and humorous to me (unless it was said aggressively).

roundtable · 03/10/2022 21:04

I'd be concerned about the quality of teaching if that much is needed every night. Especially if it's a grammar. Unless she's not been working in class but that would have been flagged up to you by now?

MaffsMover · 03/10/2022 21:05

Yes two hours of homework a night is too much but I’d probably not get involved tonight, neither of you are going to win.

She does have a right to an opinion and a right to an education but no where in the act does it tell you how to weigh these against each other.

boredwithfoodprob · 03/10/2022 21:05

I have a son in Year 10 at an Outstanding comprehensive school, he's doing 9 GCSEs. His school advises around an hour's homework a night, but sometimes he doesn't do that and does a bit more at the weekend. 2 hours a night is excessive and not required at this level.

greenacrylicpaint · 03/10/2022 21:05

too much unless it's the week before exams.

it's a recipe for burn out.

teens need to be able to go out and hang out with their friends and do a hobby.

Feelinglikeachange22 · 03/10/2022 21:05

I feel like 2 hours is too much. She has a point even if she's expresing it rashly.

Luckydip1 · 03/10/2022 21:05

1 hour max

Softplayhooray · 03/10/2022 21:06

CuriousCatfish · 03/10/2022 20:52

I think 2 hours of homework a night is too much. I'm with your DD.

I have to agree, sorry OP!

Sympathy for you for the full on Kevin and Perry act you're getting at the moment though!

MinervaTerrathorn · 03/10/2022 21:06

roundtable · 03/10/2022 21:04

I'd be concerned about the quality of teaching if that much is needed every night. Especially if it's a grammar. Unless she's not been working in class but that would have been flagged up to you by now?

Yes, especially at a grammar. If children are super bright then I'd expect them to need less homework not more.

AlisonDonut · 03/10/2022 21:06

10 hours a week minimum?

Nah, fuck that. I'd be unhappy as well. We all need downtime, and people's evenings do not belong to the school.

namechange59682 · 03/10/2022 21:07

Agree with majority here two hours is too much.

ChaToilLeam · 03/10/2022 21:07

She shouldn’t be checking her teachers.

But two hours a night is absolutely excessive. I’m with her on that. Some pre-reading for the next day, or revision of the day’s work is fine, but it should not be taking up that much of an evening.

Magenta82 · 03/10/2022 21:07

That seems like an awful lot. Plus there is very little evidence that homework is useful or productive.

Hawkins001 · 03/10/2022 21:07

Challenger5 · 03/10/2022 20:49

DD 1 is adamant that two hours a night homework, is against her human rights. She has been stomping around, refusing to start her homework. DD 1 is being exceptionally rude to me swearing at me for sending her to a prison camp and claiming to be-having a nervous breakdown due to the schools expectations.

I am trying to calm her down and reason with her, that two hours a night is quite proportionate for a year 10 girl at a Grammar School. This especially as the school as stated her target grades are 7-9 in all ten GCSE subjects.

She has also informed me that her head of year as given her a after school detention, today for calling her English teacher a 'mean cow' for a poor homework mark. DD denies calling the teacher that, saying she was misheard when she pulled her face at the teacher.

DD is saying the detention is unfair and against her human rights because it is grossly an excessive punishment even if she had accidentally muttered 'mean cow' when the teacher spoke to her. DD argues that her face pulling was justified because someone has to stand up against the schools unrealistic and unreasonable levels of homework demanded.

Then make it three hours.
does she want to be good and achieve her goals or instead choose e.g. Onlyfans etc

PollyEsther · 03/10/2022 21:08

Two hours, every night?! Yup, I'm team DD, that's ridiculous. They're already in school 6+ hours a day: when are they meant to fit in hobbies and/or leisure time?!

I'd be concerned about the quality of teaching during the day if they need to set that much homework daily tbh.

WhatsitWiggle · 03/10/2022 21:08

It doesn't sound too much to me - DDs secondary school has told them it's 1 hour a night in yr 10 and 2 hours a night in yr 11, and that's not a selective school.

I'm sure my grammar was at least two hours - we'd have six lessons a day and they'd almost all set homework, whether that was writing up a chemistry experiment done in class, or additional research (pre internet days, I was often at the town library for an hour). It was pretty standard for me to get in at 4pm, get a cup of tea and a biscuit and do homework until teatime at 6pm when my dad got home. And sometimes finish off afterwards. But I never did homework at the weekend, I had a Saturday job and Sundays were for relaxing.

RoomOfRequirement · 03/10/2022 21:09

2 hours is too much but she is acting like a rude brat with how she spoke to her teacher so I don't feel sorry for her. Sometimes life is hard.

YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake · 03/10/2022 21:09

It's a ridiculous amount after a full school day. My year 10 has about 4 hours of homework a week.

LegoFiends · 03/10/2022 21:10

HScully · 03/10/2022 21:00

It's 2 hours a night....

Sorry, typo. We definitely had more than two hours per night at that age. I assumed everyone did

Daisywithastory · 03/10/2022 21:10

I think I’d about two hours a night at that age but it wasn’t in England. Went up to about three/four hours a night by the time I was 17/18-that was much tougher!

LeilaDarling · 03/10/2022 21:11

She sounds sassy and strong minded. Good!
Yes, 2 hours an eve is too much, they need downtime and rest.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 03/10/2022 21:11

Fuck me does she know how hard some of the worlds women and girls have it? Her human rights? Her approach to this is laughable and just her entitlement would make me not want to console her.

Privately without her knowledge I'd ask the school (or check the website) for their homework policy.