Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

What do you think about no Homework?

86 replies

RobAnthony66 · 03/08/2010 22:17

As a teacher I have always had concerns about the usefulness of homework set for the sake of it. I am thinking of trialling a term of no 'normal' homework for our Year 8 students. Alternative tasks would be offered, though not made compulsory, along the lines of something to research or do (like find out about Pablo Picasso or find out how your parents maintain their car). There would be a choice of four each week but, as they are not compulsory, it would be up to students to decide which one, if any to do. They would not need to write anything down to 'prove' that they had done it but would be free to explore the ideas for themselves or with their parents. If it works I might make it school policy for Years 7 to 9.

I know this is a bit radical but I wondered what you all thought about it as an idea?

OP posts:

MathsMadMummy · 04/08/2010 20:43

I don't know, as I said above I've always been a geek and I don't see it as a total waste of time. badly organised silly worksheets, yes of course, but a well thought out piece of HW is important IMO. and feedback too, which as I said my DSDs do not get ATM... I'd rather they had one piece of HW a week that was properly set and marked with decent feedback, than 10 pieces of pointless drivel which the teacher can't even be arsed to look at

I was brought up with an overwhelmingly positive view of school in general, and of HW specifically. I really believe that's seen me through my academic career when other circumstances would've destined me to fail - I had to leave my grammar school due to these circumstances, and ended up self-studying a few GCSEs, then onto FE college where you were pretty much left to it, and ended up being famous among the faculty because I actually got straight As, shock! I'm now doing an OU degree. I really feel that if I didn't have that attitude I wouldn't be able to do all that, especially now when I have a family to look after too. my friends on the OU course are struggling, they are just 'getting through it', whereas I LOVE it.

I am so happy that since before she turned 3 my DD has been asking for 'maths' and 'homework' (I should clarify this isn't something I told her to do, it's just because I talk about my own maths homework!) - of course to her it's just scribbling on preschool workbooks and magazine puzzles, but I hope she continues to feel that work is fun and exciting and that school doesn't drum that out of her. I can really see how too much govt-box-ticking type HW could do that though

sorry I'm really waffling... speaking of studying I should go and get on with some!

Original poster

RobAnthony66 · 04/08/2010 20:58

MathsMadMummy - I agree that homework isn't a total waste of time. Just the vast majority of it! The problem comes because teachers are told they have to set it each week (or each lesson, eeek!). So worksheets that are easy to mark is what you get.

My DS also likes to do homework but is getting less keen now that the school is setting him his own (he's 5).

OP posts:

PixieOnaLeaf · 04/08/2010 21:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

cat64 · 04/08/2010 22:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Marjoriew · 05/08/2010 14:59

My 7 never did homework in Primary school - I didn't allow it.
Home is home and school is school.
If children aren't learning what they are supposed to be learning in school to such a degree that they have to bring work home, then there is something wrong with the system.
Two of my granddaughters attend a local grammar school. They come to my house to their homework and use the laptops.
Projects go unmarked as does other work set as homework.
So how can homework be productive if homework is not marked or there is no feedback?

Original poster

RobAnthony66 · 05/08/2010 16:19

Marjoriew - I agree that most homework set by schools doesn't generate any learning outcomes, particularly if it is not assessed and feedback given. However, if a task was set, which generated real learning for its own sake then surely it would not need to be assessed nor feedback given. For example, if I showed my class a resistor and asked them to go and find out more about it, some students may go off and discover the whole world of electronics. I don't need to assess that or give feedback to them about it. Do I?

OP posts:

MathsMadMummy · 05/08/2010 17:05

hmm.

maybe you don't need to, but it'd be nice to have it acknowledged and praised. if you have 2 students, one who makes a big effort and one who does bugger all, would they both get the same response?

RealEyesRealiseRealLies · 05/08/2010 19:02

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

LynetteScavo · 05/08/2010 19:07

I think it would be fantastic, as long as the parents were aware of what was going on.

I would certainly encourage DS to work as hard on optional homework, as I would compulsory.

Then only thing I would ask is that I was informed of the homework (pref by email) personally, and not through my child (who is not a reliable messenger)

senua · 05/08/2010 21:15

Hmm, I'm not sure about this 'homework set for the sake of it' argument.

DD's school used to send home all sorts of guff, including the homework rota, and I was supposed to sign the Parental Agreement. It used to peeve me that the school would say they were going to set, say, Geography homework on a Wednesday and then not bother. I wasn't happy that the school set the example of "here's a plan ... but we can't be bothered to execute it".
What was the point of the tick-box exercise of Home/School agreements if the school didn't keep their side of the contract? I would have been very pleased with homework for the sake of it as per the agreed plan.

MathsMadMummy · 06/08/2010 08:07

we have the same problem senua, the school are so disorganised. either they forget to set work, or don't hand it in, and they rarely give more than a tick for marking, if they bother at all. or if they do set work it's worksheets that are rarely anything relevant. their school could never instigate a scheme as suggested by OP :(

SuzieHomemaker · 06/08/2010 08:25

I think that if the student is given work to do whether compulsory or optional the teacher should then give the student feedback. This doesnt mean marking. It means explaining where it has worked really well and where improvements could be made.

No or reduced compulsory homework wont mean less work for the teacher, it will probably mean more but I think that work will be more interesting.

I know that my younger DCs find their homework a frustration. For DS it is simply a chore to be got out of the way. For DD it doesnt allow her to express herself fully.

Something which improved this and engaged DCs would be gratefully received.

Adair · 06/08/2010 08:43

Another teacher who thinks formal homework is ridiculous.

Dh's old school abandoned the idea (following research from Institute of Education on the lack of benefits of homework) and do optional project based tasks instead.

senua · 06/08/2010 09:33

Can someone explain how this 'no homework' idea works?

When I was at school, we had a lesson of talk&chalk and were then set work to check that we understood the concepts and could apply them. The information was imparted, left to rattle around in the brain for a few hours and was then required to be dredged up again for homework. It was the initial, short-term part of the retention of data (aka revising) process.
Is this now done in class instead? Is that why teachers always complain about lack of time to cover the syllabus?

Original poster

RobAnthony66 · 06/08/2010 13:05

senua This sounds to me like the school mamangement saying one thing and the teachers doing something else. This happens in lots of schools, the school has a policy on something but it is not followed. It is up to the management to make sure that the policy is senible and that it is followed. I suspect that the teachers think homework is a waste of everyone's time and arent't bothering to set any.

Chalk & Talk doesn't work any more. Students get bored by it and start to misbehave and it isn't the best way of learning.

What happens now is you introduce a topic and get the students to practice it during the lesson and give feedback during the lesson. The issue with 'traditional' homework is that, if you understood the lesson you don't need to do it and if you didn't understand the lesson you won't be able to do it, so what is the point?

OP posts:

senua · 06/08/2010 14:00

What is the point? "The information was imparted, left to rattle around in the brain for a few hours and was then required to be dredged up again for homework. It was the initial, short-term part of the retention of data (aka revising) process."

Chalk&talk worked for us and we were perfectly capable of concentrating for a whole forty minute lesson. In fact, we were also able to concentrate long enough to be able to do three hour exams which, apparently, the kids of today can no longer do (how can you call a 30 minute test an exam for goodness sake!)

Have you asked employers what they think of your no-homework idea? - I know that they are generally not terribly impressed with what is coming out of the education system these days.

latrucha · 06/08/2010 14:15

I don't agree with homework for the sake of it.

In my old school we had to set something like two 30 minute homeworks a week and I hated it and thought a blanket rule was pointless. I think that homework with a reason is fine. Even so, often the work is more effectively done in class, even homeworks that I think are acceptable, such as learning spellings. I had a variety of classes for teaching spelling (such as spelling bees and games) and generally found these much more fun and effective than, 'Write the numbers one to ten down your page. Number one is hygiene' etc..

I was a good student at school but only did the best set homework in a slapdash way. Most of it was pointless, IMO.

Original poster

RobAnthony66 · 06/08/2010 15:06

senua Employers are generally comparing their own educational achievement at the age of 14/16 with studnents who haven't done very well and aren't going on to do A-Levels. The comparison is generally a false one based upon comparing two very different people. However I haven't asked employers about this idea yet, my aim is to achieve what homework should achive but currently doesn't IMHO.

I'm not arguaing that all homework is useless, just most of it. If a teacher thinks that it would be good for the students to spend some additional time at home doing something extra with the material tey have learned then that is fine. I just object to the 'You must set 30 minutes each lesson' regardless of its educational value.

OP posts:

latrucha · 06/08/2010 17:16

Me too!

Marjoriew · 06/08/2010 20:05

I think also there is an issue regarding those children who don't have the space/facilities to do homework.
Many children live in B&B, homeless accommodation, emergency accommodation.
I have a couple of kids from around here who come in to mine to do their homework and use the laptops.
They have no books at home for reference, and there seems to be an assumption that every child has access to a computer.

Kez100 · 06/08/2010 22:03

My only concern with no homework would be training the children for GCSE. What will happen when they are used to doing nothing and then, suddenly, the GCSE years kick in and there is no avoiding coursework or revision.

Personally, I am all for children not having homework but having lots of out of school activities and hobbies, but I do think homework over three secondary years helps get them prepared for what is to come.

If you are talkingPrimary then, fine,ditch it.If secondary then I'd like to see a terms project perhaps, or research, or regular revision allocated as homework. Something which helps teach independant learning skills.

BeenBeta · 06/08/2010 22:19

RobAnthony - if you were my DSs teacher you would be getting a visit and a very difficult meeting.

While I agree that homework for the sake of it is a bad thing surely a good teacher should be setting homework that gives children the chance to practice and extend and consolidate what they learned in class.

Just giving optional homework to children means it does not get done IME. It has to be compulsory and relevant. Frankly, it just sounds lazy to not set it and if you were working in a selective fee paying school you would be sacked.

Sorry but what on earth are you thnking of?!

thelastresort · 06/08/2010 22:35

I don't really understand what you are offering RobAnthony?

It sounds just as tedious as setting 'traditional' homework (which I don't agree with). In fact it sounds more tedious. Certainly my DCs would not want to do any 'optional' homework and I certainly would not want to have to try and nag them encourage them to do it incessantly.

I would prefer they had no homework at all and just did what was needed at school and then we can all have a relaxing evening/holidays at home.

And this is from a parent with DCs at/were at highly academic selective school!

I don't understand some parents' obsession with homework. Why can't children just go to school, do the academic work there, and come home without some awful project/essay or whatever hanging over them?

BeenBeta · 06/08/2010 22:42

There is not enough time to both learn and practice everything that needs to be done - that is why homework is necessary.

Put it this way, the best independent schools I know set homework. So should every school. Is there any need to ask why independent schools get more pupils into university than state schools.

thelastresort · 06/08/2010 23:11

My DCs are/were at a highly selective state grammar school. Older DCs are/were at Russell Group universities.

About 40 pupils each year at their school get places at Oxbridge. Every pupil gets a place at a Russell Group university if not Oxbridge.

Personally, I don't think they need to do lots of homework all the time. They are easily able to cover the curriculum at school.

Flip

1 2 3 4