Year 2 - can school say homework is compulsory?

[Redcliff]

I mentioned to one of the other mums at school today that I heard our sons teacher had been keeping children in a break time to finish homework if it hadn't been done and she went a bit crazy - turns out that she never does homework with her kids and when she asked her son today (after I opened my big mouth) he said that he had been kept in for the last two weeks for at least one break time.

She told him they couldn't do this - is this right?

[morethanpotatoprints]

tiggy

The school my dd went to for a while didn't set homework at all, they didn't believe in it either.
My ds didn't do any homework again and more parents started to follow suit. It really isn't necessary.

[wannabestressfree]

In your opinion as........?
I am glad I don't waste my time trying to enforce rules that parents won't with regard to homework then.....

[Fairenuff]

There are usually at least one or two children in the class who don't do homework. One of our children stays in for 5 minutes every day to read with an adult because no-one is hearing him read at home.

[capsium]

IMO all this is because teachers cannot actually teach the full curriculum as it stands. They absolutely rely on parents to fill in the gaps. Any reading, consolidation or extension work and sometimes even first principles.

Some schools actually do teach the whole curriculum, granted, but this is in areas where they receive extra funding for doing so, because they cannot rely on parents to teach, due to social deprivation or other barriers.

In a lot if areas schools rely too much on parents. In fact a lot of National Curriculum activities could not take place without them, volunteering to help out in swimming lessons for example.

What would happen if parents just said 'No!'?

[capsium]

Tbh school rules should be ones which a child can follow independently...

[capsium]

tiggytape I agree it can be awkward a child who is stuck in the middle but really do think teachers have a responsibility to the children they teach not to set up opportunity for educational inequalities. That is they need to take full responsibility for teaching the whole of the National Curriculum without absolutely relying on any input from parents.

[capsium]

As it stands parents are put in quite an awkward position. They have skills they undoubtedly want to pass on t their children in their own time. However this should not be at the dictates of a class teacher.

Parents, naturally have their own very specific knowledge and relationship with their child. The time they spend with them should be their own.

A parent's purpose for being is not to serve the school...that is not even the best thing for a child. Teachers need to remember this first and foremost when thinking about setting homework.

[capsium]

And anything that a parent is asked to sign, such as an Agreement, by very definition is requesting permission or agreement.

Home School agreements need to be negotiated openly with the whole of the school community...

[capsium]

It is ridiculous to suggest not signing an agreement means you don't have to obey school rules.

Parents do not have to obey school rules, pupils do.

[capsium]

^well at least outside school premises.

[morethanpotatoprints]

Wannabe

Imo as somebody with a PgCE and M.cert Ed
and of course as a parent. We too are allowed opinions.

[Sheneverdid]

IME School's seem to be able to do what ever they want really (with or without a policy) I once remember a CT dictating to me what time my Ds should go to bed even though he is in bed for 7pm every night.

TBH Dc lose break times for pretty much anything at Ds's school including not completing homework (which probably explains why the Dc are half asleep in lessons ), after trying various things to get him to bring it home, I got so sick of being dictated to by the school and accepted defeat so what happens in school is his own doing. I didn't say it was OK not to, I see my priority now is to make sure he gets plenty of exercise when he gets home.

[meditrina]

"The issue here is very, very simple. Each school will have a homework policy, children must do homework in line with the policy or take the consequences in line with the policy. Parents are completely free to look for a school with a homework policy of their liking or to home-educate."

Well, if you can afford the independent sector, or live somewhere where you actually have a choice of schools, then you might have this 'freedom'. But if you're stuck with no6 from your reference list, there will probably be quite a lot about the school you don't actively like. Yes, you probably have no option but to put up with the homework/uniform whatever, as your freedom to look for a school that you like cannot be turned into the ability to secure a place at one.

[NurseyWursey]

I think it's silly to be sending children home at this age with homework. But then again maybe it's to get parents more involved? I always have been anyway, reading and such but I know some parents aren't and helping with homework could be a good way to get them on board. Learning shouldn't be restricted to the class room.

[RandomInternetStranger]

DD has had homework at school since reception. As did I. Isn't that usual?

[capsium]

Learning shouldn't be restricted to the class room.

It isn't. This is why schools fail to do so badly tackling educational inequality.

However this does not mean schools should be dictating to parents how they spend their time with their child. What it means is that parents should be respected and valued more as the most influential component in a child's socialization. Schools have comparatively little influence.

Why not just admit this and attempting to get schools to influence the home make it easier for parents to do what they do best? That is parent.

[capsium]

^Typo. That should read:

Why just not admit this and stop trying to get schools to influence the home? Instead make it easier for parents to do what they do best. Parent.

[Anniegoestotown]

ds was sent home with homework he could not do. He is dyslexic and struggles even now to read and write. When I talked to his teacher about setting him more appropriate homework I was told that as it was the curriculum he had to do the homework.

The year he had at that school I think did more damage than good. He still has flashbacks about his experience there

[capsium]

It isn't about devaluing parents but about getting all children to reinforce their progress at home. Striking a balance on this is hard for schools. Some parents would naturally want to do tons of extra learning with their children and in fact would define a key element of parenting as facilitating both formal and informal education at home.

IMO the key element is that schools seem incapable of teaching the whole curriculum at home adequately. If they could there would be no need for homework.

Yes, children learn a lot at home but this is because of the valuable nature of the parent child relationship, not because of a school's input. It is the parent and child that create this relationship, schools cannot do this.

Schools can actually win in this, they can take responsibility for teaching a child the whole of the national curriculum, without relying parents to fill in the gaps, as a matter of course. In years gone by schools used to do this. No homework for primary aged children was the norm and even secondary homework was not that onerous.The guidelines for setting homework, as I recall, were taken away quite recently. Schools do not have to set it.

Then extending a child's learning at home can safely be left to parental choice.

[capsium]

that should read


IMO the key element is that schools seem incapable of teaching the whole curriculum at school adequately.

Typo.

[capsium]

And it is grossly unfair to punish a child for something that lies outside their own capabilities, such as not doing homework that they needed support to complete.

As I have said it is the child that follows school rules, not the parent. Home school agreements are not legally binding. There is no legal requirement to assist with homework. Parents are not the employees of the school. School rules should be ones a child can manage independently.