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Original poster

Banning Homework ?

43 replies

Fridayfeeling · 11/03/2008 21:24

I read today that homework may be banned for primary children. Where do I place my YES vote?

It is futile, obnoxious and stressful to give a child aged 5 homework. Just perpetuates the 'loss of childhood' that everyone moans about.............let them be kids.

OP posts:
pukkapatch · 11/03/2008 21:26

homework is a part of childhood

saadia · 11/03/2008 21:30

Ds enjoys doing it most of the time, and in a class with 30 children he is never going to get the attention he needs so I have no problem with practising reading and spelling and doing a few sums now and then.

Original poster
Fridayfeeling · 11/03/2008 21:32

It certainly was not part of my childhood and I can read, write and communicate perfectly well.

There really is no need - it simply instills a competitive and thus a 'failure' potential at a very young age. IMO it is not the most important thing for a 5/6/7 year old by any stretch of my imagination - in fact it is way down the list.

We should be questioning what it actually means to give a 5 year old homework - what values are we pushing?

OP posts:
Quadrophenia · 11/03/2008 21:32

I have no problem with reading, spellings, making stuff etc. What I do object to though is homework which has to be completely parent lead, for example my 7 year olds getting a homework on pneumatic systems, researching, drawing and labelling them, when they hadn't evben earnt about them in class yet.

Heated · 11/03/2008 21:35

I think a bit of h/w at primary like spellings and times tables is a 'good thing'.

Actually I'd like to see 'prep' for the last 2 yrs of primary, where pupils consolidate their learning at the end of the school day in school without input from parents and as a result don't take any/much home.

Homework currently sounds parents jumping through hoops. In fact had a parent at parents' eve miffed that 'her work' on an essay didn't get a better grade!

peanutbear · 11/03/2008 21:36

I want to vote yes as well let them be children

Hulababy · 11/03/2008 21:38

The thing is some homework is needed - for example reading. The teacher needs children to practise to consolidate their reading in class. The more a child reads, the more they improve.

Similar with things like spellings and tables - these are time consuming tasks and tasks that need to be done on a one to ne basis - there wouldn't be time in class to do this.

FairyMum · 11/03/2008 21:39

I have already banned it in my home. Sod the teachers. let's go out and play!

madamez · 11/03/2008 21:41

There's nothing wrong with expecting kids to do a bit of private study ie reading or writing something up. But why can;t they do it at the end of the school day rather than having it blight their evenings and weekends?

saadia · 11/03/2008 21:44

I agree that it should be homework for the children and set to their ability, and really if parental help is required - as opposed to just listening and guiding - then there isn't much point. I remember a friend of mine with 7yr old dd commenting about how she hadn't even started yet on her dd's French project and I did think .

peanutbear · 11/03/2008 21:45

Reading should be books that children want to read we read Horrid henry and captain underpants instead of school reading books

my son had 3 hours of homework over the weekend he is 9 this to me is unreasonable its time off he will have enough chance to work all hours god sends when he has to earn a living

Original poster
Fridayfeeling · 11/03/2008 21:46

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

No wonder that depression is in epidemic proportions !

OP posts:
smartiejake · 11/03/2008 21:46

Reading, Spellings and tables practise I have no problem with- quick five mins here and there and important skills to acquire.

Its the research on Philip of Spain, find five facts about Jamaica, design a parachute and draw it, write all 12 sentences in a complex sentence and collect information and draw a barchart, pictogram and tally chart, I object to.

DD2 had all this to do last week. (she is 9)

DD1 who is in year 7 did less.

Aero · 11/03/2008 21:51

I hate homework, due to the fact that dd can not produce any work without constant supervision!

Reading, spelling and tables I have no problem with in general.

Dd is seven though and homework is a daily battle. She has reading (necessary), 10 spellings (fair enough), but, she has to write out three times each and then make a decent sentence for each one.

She also has a homework sheet for the class and a separate one from a small group she is in to aid her learning. On top of that, there is sometimes a science homework to do which they get a fortnight for.

All this would be fine, if they had no outside interests or friends.
We have activities for ds1 and dd on a Monday and Art club for dd on a Tuesday. We usually get home after school atabout 3.45pm the rest of the week and dd needs to be in bed by 7.30pm.

I have three children - not a lot of time to get it all done, although thankfully ds1 can get on with his own and ds2 isn't at school yet. Factor in tea-time, play time, bath-time and story time and it all gets fairly wearing.

In principle, I agree that children should have some homework, just not before the age of 7-8, apart from the basics, and not the ridiculous amounts we seem to be getting!

saadia · 11/03/2008 21:56

Most of the parents at ds' school would be thrilled for their dcs to be getting these levels of homework and talk longingly of how much HW is set for cousins/friends' dcs who go to the local "Outstanding" primary school which always tops the League Tables. One friend commented approvingly that at the nursery of the aforementioned school pupils were expected to be writing sentences.

bluenosesaint · 11/03/2008 21:57

mmmm its not homework per se that i object to - it is the sheer amount of homework that my dc's get that i object to

I think 5 minutes here and there is perfectly acceptable and helps the children to make the link between school and home. But my YR dd brings home 4 books to read, spellings, home activity pack AND writing/maths worksheet!! EVERY WEEK! wtf??

Ridiculous!

bluenosesaint · 11/03/2008 21:58

Saadia

peanutbear · 11/03/2008 21:59

I wouldnt mind so much if it was things they had learnt at school but more often than not I have to try to remember how to do it!!!!!!

Its not refresher stuff its new things that they havnt learnt yet

You cant blame the teachers though they have so much to do now with so little time to get it done in

taipo · 11/03/2008 22:07

dd is 8 and we have a daily battle over homework. At that age it's often more a test of how much time the parents are prepared to spend getting their dc to do it.

Homebird8 · 11/03/2008 22:10

With DS1 (reception) we do it if he feels like it though I don't put it in those terms. To do so would be storing up a battle for the future. I treat it as a challenge like playing a board game at his age. It's fun if you have a go! Not sure I believe it myself though.

lucyellensmum · 11/03/2008 22:24

I actually think that homework put a massive strain on, and almost ruined the relationship i had with DD1 (or the way i handled it at least). All that bloody pressure, and what for? She rebelled totally. I hope that i remember this when DD2 goes to school.

I think that it puts far to much pressure on the little ones. For god sake, isn't their day long enough?? I do agree that they need to practice reading, but maybe having this as a homework is turning it into a negative anyway. It is down to the parents to read with their child, irrespective of the school - ok so it is good to have a guide from the teachers as to what they are reading at school and they can have a book to bring home, but all this pressure, it really is so wrong if you ask me. I spent most of DD1s school life locked horns with DD1 about homework, it is a huge regret for me. My DD1 is incredably bright, although her gcse results suggest otherwise. DD2, i dont think is quite so bright, i just hope i remember to lay off the pressure on her.

So, i will be marking a big fat yes on the ban homework ballot too.

lucyellensmum · 11/03/2008 22:32

It is the pressure aspect of it, that xyz must be done by a certain time. It is just a nightmare. When is this homeworks supposed to happen anyway? They have already done a full day at school. They come home, they are probably hungry so mum is in kitchen busy with tea maybe. Dad still at work, if both parents work then they probably go to afterschool club. So, cant do the homework then, so they have tea, but say 5 o clock?? That takes an hour maybe? So, its six o clock. Time to wind down, have a bath, bedtime story (you know, read by mum or dad, to RELAX AND ENJOY) go to bed.

OK, so they could do it when they get in from school, tired, tetchy, hungry (without help because mum or dad busy trying to get tea), or after tea, just tired and tetchy with help from knackered parent.

TooTicky · 11/03/2008 22:33

Oh yes, please let it be banned!! Ds1 (8) suffers so much with it.

peanutbear · 11/03/2008 22:35

Also - on high horse- what happens if you actually have something to do that requires you not being at homw to over see said homework

It doesnt get done and you have a child in tars in the morning crying because he didnt do his homework and now is going to get into trouble

edam · 11/03/2008 22:44

Sign me up right now! I thing spellings and times tables are fair enough and to be encouraged, anything else at primary age is too much. For all the reasons given about small children being tired and it causing conflict between parents/child/school.

This awful Victorian workhouse master attitude to education taken by the current government is morally repugnant and bloody damaging, IMO. Education should be about the thrill of learning, about the world opening up to you, not about drilling children and preparing them to be the 21st century equivalent of factory fodder. Yes, of course not every single second of your schooldays can be exciting but let's not build in boredom and doing stuff just for the sake of doing it.

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