Schools and homework

[Enjoyingthejourney]

Hi, all

I was reading the Daily Mail (happens more often than it should) and came across this article:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ssons.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have always been in two minds over homework. Are there any teachers on this forum? I would be interested to hear their views on the topic of the importance of homework.

[quasimodo]

A BBC news article upon the same issue.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-37494563" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I suppose it depends upon what subjects the homework is set in.My youngest dd does not see the point in Art and I agree with her e.g when she has to keep repeating the same piece of work over and over again as her teacher doesn't think its good enough.It is a subject in which she has little ability where she is doing her best.It is only the one teacher and its not been an issue in her other school or with other art teachers in the same school.She is encouraged by us to learn the theoretical aspects even though she struggles in the practical aspects.We already know it will not be a GCSE option.

[silverysea]

This article has inspired me to take a snap of our dog with paper hanging out of her mouth....

[Tinkers]

In this house it the cat who eats homework (and bills, bank statements, school letters, cardboard boxes). she has taken such a liking (or disliking, I'm not sure which) to one particular school letter that it now has a frilly edge along two sides. DD can't leave any sheets of paper on the coffe table.

I do think that the excessive 'make a model' homework (especially at primary level) should be binned. We all know who normally actually spends the effort doing this sort of thing and the cost for some parents is out of reach.

A friend of mine has a DD the same age as my DD but an older DD who is disabled. Having to do model HW is a real pain for them. The house has been altered to accommodate the older DDs needs so the only place to do that sort of thing is the kitchen table. Where all the family eat. No alternative hw is given for those who for whatever can't really do this sort of thing at home. I know other schools do.

[KB]

In such circumstances the parent should contact the school to explain the situation.
If it were me I would then have the child do some thing manageable on the same topic eg a drawing or technical drawing or a poster perhaps to demonstrate to the teacher that they have made an effort.

[Tinkers]

In such circumstances the parent should contact the school to explain the situation.
If it were me I would then have the child do some thing manageable on the same topic eg a drawing or technical drawing or a poster perhaps to demonstrate to the teacher that they have made an effort.

She did at the time. She did offer for her DD to do research instead (which tbh the DD would have preferred doing anyway.) The school were already aware of the family situation. They weren't prepared to offer an alternative.

[Bumblebeez]

The first articles makes the point that teachers need the time to prepare properly. Another consideration is that children need time to play, and parents need time to parent. http://uk.businessinsider.com/texas-tea ... ork-2016-8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It must depend on how old they are. Besides the "make a model" homework, at junior school we had a lot of trumpeted "open ended homework" tasks that asked questions such as "Tell me what you can find out about the 1960s". For a nine year old. It struck me as lazy and aimless, and whatever work was done it would be ticked and that was that.

[mystery]

Slightly puzzling article. Head says her teachers are working all the hours god sends but they don't have time to plan their lessons. She says that giving up setting and marking homework will give them time. Which suggests that they have been spending a lot of time setting and marking homework and marking work done in unplanned lessons .... which doesn't make a great deal of sense. But their analysis shows that the homework,, which they have spent a great deal of staff tme on, is not an effective way to make progress (or they wouldn't be scrapping it).

My conclusion: don't send your children to that school as the head doesn't make sense. But, on the other hand it's a Daily Mail article and since when have they reported facts straight.

My own thoughts on homework: it can be easy to set and mark, it can be useful. I have experienced plenty of homework vicariously now. There has not been that much of it that fits the second category at our primary school - more at secondary school. The "quality" of the way the homework is set and mark seems to tally well with the way classwork ticks too i.e. sensible teacher manages to get both right, others manage to get both wrong.

I would think it is possible to progress well without any homework - but then there are some subject where some children need more repetition than others (eg. foreign vocab learning, spelling,maths facts and methods) and I don't know how this can be entirely provided in the classroom without being detrimental to the general speed at which one moves on.

Too many homeworks building time- consuming models and also involving outlay, vaguely defined projects which are not marked etc etc. These are rubbish homeworks. But if the kid feels they have to do it, I don't know what to do to persuade them to spend time on something more "profitable" in terms of learning, physical health or family life.

Schools hide behind questionnaires which don't ask the questions you really want to give anwers to.