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Original poster

Isn't it about time we got rid of homework, at least for the under 14s?

251 replies

Solopower1 · 17/10/2012 18:16

Just heard on the radio (PM Programme, Radio 4) that there are moves afoot to stop setting HW in France. They did this years ago in Spain. Didn't catch any more details (eg what age children) but they are considering lengthening the school day by half an hour so that the kids can do their HW before they go home.

Apparently there is no research that proves that doing HW benefits a child! (Which isn't to say that it doesn't, of course, but still).

I think it would be a great idea to abolish homework, at least for those under 14. It has always been a huge burden in our household, and caused so much tension. Plus the school day is really short. In Scotland there are no classes on a Friday afternoon - not even for sixth formers.

It wouldn't stop parents from going over their kids' HW if they wanted to, nor would it prevent anyone from doing any amount of extra research. What it would do, however, is make things just that little bit more equal. It's not fair, imo, that children from disadvantaged backgrounds who get no help (or might not even have anywhere to do their HW), are still expected to produce the same quality of work as a child whose parent does it for him/her.

What do other people think?

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 17/10/2012 19:21

Teachers know full well whether the child or the parent has done the project though.

Prospero now looking like Russell Brand. Sad

losingtrust · 17/10/2012 19:23

I was pleased to get a blue card (a commendation) for my DS's art project I was up to 12 finishing it - so wrong!

LFCisTarkaDahl · 17/10/2012 19:24

I agree but I also think separately that the school day is too short and that children not adequately entertained get into trouble.

It's fine if you've got good parents on top of the problem but we don't need a load of 11 year olds with nothing to do from 3 til bedtime, particularly if the parents are at work and there's nothing to do and no one to supervise.

I have the misfortune of seeing 11 year olds going home alone to computers and video games with no restrictions. I don't 'blame' the parents, people need to work, but there are negative outcomes from unentertained children.

picturesinthefirelight · 17/10/2012 19:25

I'd sign uP for that!

My two go to a private school and they yet a LOT less homework than my state educated nephew & neices at their various schools.

stargirl1701 · 17/10/2012 19:26

Um, in Edinburgh there are no classes on a Friday. Not Scotland.

BeatTheClock · 17/10/2012 19:29

I practically did a project for dd once. She was in yr 4 and it was a huge project about a European City. The list of requirements expected to be covered was ridiculous and way beyond the capabilities for her age group. We had night after night of her wading through books and the pc with dd often in tears; she had no clue how to actually research such a big topic at her age and had been given no direction at school.

I went in and complained to the teacher who basically didn't want to knowHmm

Then speaking to other parents the penny finally dropped. They were all 'helping'. So I did the same and I'd do it again without hesitation.

The school then displayed the projects in the foyer and it was plain as day who'd done the work. It was a total sham and still makes me angry even though it was some years ago now. I still can't for the life of me work out what use it was to anyone.

Sparklingbrook · 17/10/2012 19:31

DS2 had to do a 5 plus minute powerpoint presentation every term in Year 3 and Year 4. By the 6th and final one I had to go into school and have a moan about it. Didn't go down well, but enough was enough.

Original poster
Solopower1 · 17/10/2012 19:38

Oops, sorry, Stargirl. Thought it was all over Scotland.

OP posts:
losingtrust · 17/10/2012 19:39

It depends on the school, my DD (Yr4) also has to do powerpoint presentations but they have taught her how to do it in school and she has now taught me one or two things and I have done lots of powerpoint presentations! They did have a choice though which was good and could use cards or just bring in a prop. She did do it herself and she was quite keen on that. My favourite homework was when DS (then Yr5) needed to build a model of a Gurdwara in a week and he did not have a clue where to start. It could be down to the fact that DD always wants to do hers herself though and DS content to show he is enept for me to help.

Sparklingbrook · 17/10/2012 19:42

My worry was that DS was going to have to sit through 20 or so of these presentations as well as produce one of his own. the subject matter was a bit Hmm too. One was just 'Madrid'. Confused

Original poster
Solopower1 · 17/10/2012 19:49

Some of them can be fun, like the time we rustled up an Easter Bonnet in five minutes. DS had a face like thunder and was clearly refusing to have anything to do with it. Until he thought of putting a dead chicken on it (a plastic one we just happened to have lying about in the house) and surrounding it with 'rotten' (creme) eggs with worms (those fruit gummy things) coming out of them.

I can't remember if he won, but it was certainly different from the sweet fluffy chicks and beautifully painted eggs on the other bonnets. It had the added advantage of being mostly edible, and what he couldn't eat, he could hit people with. Lovely.

But teachers could still ask parents to help with things like that, even if the bulk of the more 'serious' HW was done at school.

OP posts:
Original poster
Solopower1 · 17/10/2012 19:51

Sorry, I was talking about projects and the like.

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 17/10/2012 19:52

I don't know what teachers think we have lying around the house to make the craft projects. I have become a regular in Hobbycraft and i hate the place.

orangeandlemons · 17/10/2012 19:57

I rememeber helping ds with a dsthen age 7 with an art competition. I was very pleased with my result and entered it.

Bearing in mind I have a degree in Art and Design, and am a trained teacher of Art and Dt. My wonderful piece of work Ds's artwork came second

So did the 7 year old winer have a doctoroate in Art and Design I wonder? Am still miffed about this 10 years later Angry

Original poster
Solopower1 · 17/10/2012 19:59

Grin at Orangeandlemons.

OP posts:
sommewhereelse · 17/10/2012 20:01

DS would love all these projects and posters you describe. It's right up his street!

Teachers are not supposed to set written homework in French primary schools but they do. They are only supposed to set revision, times tables, spellings, learning poems off by heart.
Yesterday DS (9) was set: 2 x grammar excersies, 1 list of spelling words to learn, 8 lines of a poem to learn and 2 maths questions. There is no school on Wednesday and it all has to be done for tomorrow.
DD (7) had to reread a text they had already read in class and answer some comprehension questions.

picturesinthefirelight · 17/10/2012 20:03

PowerPoint presentations????? I take it the schools provide the software?

Sparklingbrook · 17/10/2012 20:05

You are joking aren't you pictures? It had to be emailed in when complete, or put on a memory stick. Hmm

pregnantpause · 17/10/2012 20:06

My dd (state school) has homework every Friday to he done by Wednesday. It comprises of a reading book, (and parent/teacher feedback book, to be filled in each week after story has been 'read') and either writing, maths or creative task.

Dd is four. FOUR. Already she hates sitting down at the table to write a letter again and again. She hates counting how many trees on the page and writing the number.

On Wednesday if you don't send hw back a shame text is sent to all parents "those who have not already done so, please return COMPLETED homework packs in tomorrow. Please he aware that homework should be returned Wednesday at latest"

Oddly before school started we did all of this, with magazines and children's workbooks and she loved it. But she got to chose what she did as and when.

I completely support no hw. It's ridiculous to expect so much of children, and parents. I work, I have other dc, I find time to do it, but I don't blame others who can't.

Hulababy · 17/10/2012 20:09

DD is in a high achieving prep school. In infants they get daily reading and a bit of spelling once a week and that is it. It does increase in juniors but until this year (DD is in Y6) it wasn't every night and each piece was no more than 20-30 min. In Y6 it is more - but still not overly excessive, but could be reduced I reckon. They are doing prep for entrance exams so I think this is why it is on the up - hopefully it'll reduce again a bit after the exams in January.

But I don;t want the day extended. DD already goes to school from 8:30am - 3:45pm and I think that is long enough.

achillea · 17/10/2012 20:09

I loved the volcanoes. Always a job for Dad. He took great pleasure in making it the biggest and best, most realistic and impossible to carry. DD just stood there and watched him make it. A good exercise in sculpture, not a lot to do with geography.

threepiecesuite · 17/10/2012 20:10

I'm a secondary teacher and homework seems to be a massive focus at the moment, in school, by Ofsted and on the agenda politically. I get a lot of 'but we need to have a life' and 'I don't see the point and neither does my mum and dad' type comments which I have to counteract even though I totally agree with them. It's making for a very negative start to lessons when I have to wade through 20 excuses of why they haven't done it, praise the handful who have, find and give out extra lost worksheets, administer detentions etc.

GrimmaTheNome · 17/10/2012 20:10

I don't think there's too much point in primary, except for reading (which with the best will in the world - do the sums - the teacher can't spend much time hearing each individual child read)

In secondary - my DDs homework mostly seems pretty good. Some extended pieces, essays etc, doing it as homework allows those who want to put in more time to do so. If you're doing your secondary school-age child's homework for them you're a fool - my DD wouldn't want me to interfere anyway.

Many secondary age kids have long journeys home, so its best they can leave school, come home, rest a bit and get fed and then do the homework. It seems to work fine for all the kids I know.

However -the secondary schools should all offer an after-school homework room - access to computers, books etc. DDs school does this, also they can do some homework in lunchbreak. This should help kids who don't have facilities at home.

Hulababy · 17/10/2012 20:11

DD's school does assume children have ICT access and access to software such as Word at least and ideally PowerPoint. DD has done many a PP presentation for her homework throughout Juniors - but she does enjoy it. She is then able to email them to herself at school via the Googlemail email she has through school.

GrimmaTheNome · 17/10/2012 20:14

DD's school does assume children have ICT access and access to software such as Word at least and ideally PowerPoint

So what happens if there's a kid who hasn't?