| Andrea McCardle: “I think set weekly | | | | school hours. Children need to learn social and survival |
| homework should be banned for all children except | | | | skills outside of the classroom. Parents should be |
| sixth formers. With sixth form it’s different: the | | | | teaching their children to cook and encouraging things |
| pupils are committed to further education and want | | | | like reading for their own joy rather than having to |
| to be stretched. Children are generally forced to | | | | force them to sit down at a desk and do further |
| grow up too quickly though. They should be allowed | | | | study. They also need to spend time with other |
| to go home at the end of a school day and be left | | | | children outside of the school setting.” |
| to pursue their own interests. A lot of homework I | | | | Motivated pupils will always achieveLisa: “Banning |
| set is just repetition of what I teach the child in the | | | | homework altogether would be too extreme in my |
| classroom anyway. You can’t really set tasks | | | | opinion, though I do think a better approach would |
| that the children haven’t covered yet or they | | | | be to allow the individual teacher more flexibility over |
| won’t understand what to do. I often feel | | | | what tasks they set and when they set them. The |
| I’m just setting homework for the sake of | | | | system at the moment dictates that children should |
| it.” | | | | be set anything from half an hour to two hours per |
| Parental help... or hindrance?Lisa Tull: “I think for | | | | subject per week depending on their age. This can |
| subjects like English homework is really important. | | | | take up a lot of the teacher’s time and you do |
| Unlike subjects such as science we can’t cover | | | | find yourself setting tasks for the sake of setting |
| everything in class. The pupils need to practise skills | | | | them sometimes. I often spend a lot of time chasing |
| such as writing essays and this is best done outside | | | | pupils that don’t hand homework in when they |
| school so I’d never agree with a blanket ban. In | | | | should. It does get tedious.” |
| English, we can teach techniques in class but the | | | | Andrea: “I waste an awful lot of time chasing |
| children need to be able to demonstrate their | | | | homework as well and it’s hugely |
| understanding of them in their own time. Homework | | | | disproportionate to the benefit that homework |
| teaches children to be independent learners.” | | | | brings. My own policy is to issue a detention the third |
| | | | time the handing in of homework has to be |
| Andrea: “In my opinion if a child really wants to | | | | requested, if I was to issue a detention on a first |
| learn they will go away and do research themselves | | | | request there would be half the class permanently on |
| without you having to formally set them anything. | | | | detention. |
| Those that are eager to learn always will. You can | | | | Lisa: “Homework really needs to be beneficial |
| never be sure either if the pupil has done the | | | | to the child’s academic progress and more faith |
| homework themselves anyway, even if they do | | | | should be placed in the teacher’s judgement to |
| hand it in on time. There are a lot of competitive | | | | set work as and when they think it’s |
| parents out there willing to do the child’s work | | | | appropriate. I could see this creating a problem with |
| for them. Homework just makes pushy parents | | | | parents though. I’m sure some of them would |
| pushier and if the child isn’t doing the work | | | | think the school was failing them if they didn’t |
| themselves you’re then left with the wrong | | | | see their child bringing work home regularly. This is |
| impression of how that child is performing.” | | | | one of the reasons you could never ban homework |
| Lisa: “I’m pretty sure that the children in my | | | | across the board. The parents wouldn’t be able |
| care complete their homework by themselves. I get | | | | to understand the reasoning.” |
| to know their styles and what they’re capable | | | | Andrea: “Setting regular weekly homework |
| of so I’d probably be able to spot if someone | | | | means that far too much of my time has to be |
| had done it for them. I appreciate this isn’t the | | | | spent on marking, though. I can either plan and teach |
| same for all subjects though, especially science and | | | | good lessons or I can mark books. I teach around |
| maths. I do think it’s important, though, that | | | | 250 pupils a week. That means 250 separate pieces |
| parents are around to assist with homework. It’s | | | | of homework have to be marked. If those books |
| useful if they are able to give general guidance - to | | | | are going to be marked properly I need to spend at |
| help interpret questions, for example. I’ve found | | | | least 10 minutes on each. I don’t have time to |
| that they can sometimes be more of a hindrance | | | | do that on top of my 21 hours of classroom-based |
| though. It can knock a child’s confidence if | | | | teaching and the many other hours I have to spend |
| someone is hovering over their shoulder being too | | | | on lesson plans and preparation. The modern teaching |
| critical.” | | | | style is very interactive. Teachers don’t just ask |
| Andrea: “I’m a parent myself but I still | | | | pupils to open a text book and tell them to get on |
| believe when my children reach school age I would | | | | with it while they sit at the front and mark like they |
| prefer it if they were free to do what they like after | | | | used to. |