Do kids (read mums) get too much homework?
Published 1 year, 7 months ago in My life.My son is sitting slumped at the kitchen table. His head is in his hands. He’s groaning in pain. No, not from a soccer injury or an illness. He’s buckling under the stress of too much homework! I understand that you have to work hard at school to get good results but for heaven sakes the kid’s only in primary school.
He’s a conscientious student, does his homework as soon as he gets home from school, is organised but the work is never-ending.
The teachers advise half an hour a night but that’s a stretch! By the time they do their reading, spelling and maths sheet. And then their projects! Until they get to secondary school I think - unless the child has particular problems in an area - homework should be banned in primary school.
9 Responses to “Do kids (read mums) get too much homework?”
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I agree… I think primary, secondary and university overdoes it on the homework. While some homework (especially projects and reading) is good and can be fun, too much stops kids from learning the way that kids are supposed to learn - by playing, going places and doing things with their family. It’s all well and good to “get the young kids in good homework habits for high school”, but at the end of the day, most of us adapted when we went to high school without excessive homework in primary school.
I think homework should be small enough and possible enough for kids to finish without much help from their parents from the start, because THAT gets them into good habits for high school and uni (I don’t know how many parents can help their kids with the Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium), and puts all the kids (e.g. those with parents working long hours) on equal footing.
I’d hate to be a schoolkid these days. I think we place far too high an expectation on children and at such a young age. How do the less academic cope? Surely the workload is a discouragement for these kids to even try to complete school. Educators should ease up and let our children enjoy being children.
You are right, homework is unnecessary and WRONG in primary school, teachers have enough time to teach the basics of primary education during the day. My daughter goes to a school that has a NO HOMEWORK policy (unless behind in academic achievement) they do good old spelling lists and the like if she gets a word wrong she does have to do “lines” but these can be done in school. since she has moved to this school she has excelled academically. they have a policy of 1 teacher to 15 (max) children my daughters class has 10…………the web address is
www.yarralinda.vic.edu.au
they are in mooroolbark but have a bus that goes from burwood. there are even children that travel from altona!!!! it’s that good ……..check it out
Is it his teachers saying 30 minutes? Ask her or him how long is your son expected to study each night, then only allow that amount of time. If the teacher has a problem and your son gets in trouble for only doing part of the homework go to the principal and complain, or take even further to the department of education. Well thats what I would do anyway
Perhaps, if the amount of homework was means tested to the capability of the student, things / pressures, would be different.
Obviously, incentives would need to be im place, so that a student can say, i am doing the maximum load. This gives a sense of achievement, before the dreaded assesment mark.
Harder to police, but well worth the try.
cheerio
theshadow
Homework at primary school level is not required. The one exception is reading. And negative homework experiences have long-term impact on a child’s (lack of) educational success.
I am a secondray teacher and I don’t believe in homework apart from reading. My six year old is very frustrated with homework and the amount he gets is out of control. I fear this will have nothing more than a negetive impact on him for years to come. I am at a loss as the majority of parents are pushing and pushing their children to be something they are not. Isn’t it more important to have happy, healthy children than children that are collecting trophies for their parents ego!!
homework is dumb
who likes homework i get like 60 problems in math