The School Corridor Tatler

Sun Valley Primary School SMT members and educators with Michael Hager, Subject Adviser When you speak to Sun Valley Primary School teachers about their shift away from conventional homework, they are unstoppable. Here is a transcript of our conversation. Why has the school decided to stop giving homework assignments as we know it? We felt that giving general homework was not helping to improve learners' performance. We wanted the homework that they received to be more focused and personalized. Not the 'one size fits all' activity that stressed both the parents and the children. Children also have a full programme besides their classroom teaching. They are involved in sports and extra-mural activities. When they finally get home, they are tired of the long day. Most parents work and there are also parents who aren't able to help their children with the homework so stress levels rise. Parents need to spend quality time with their children. They need to bo...

Homework blues When poor schools build a homework culture at their school s, they add another effective learning strategy to help improve and strengthen their children's learning abilities.  We know that all children can learn. The challenge is to win the parents over to help the school create these learning opportunities at home. Given all the parents' issues, they may see the homework as a minor matter. Schools need to become advertising agencies, promoting homework creatively until parents become the advocates of homework themselves. Think of the Coke adverts. Which person doesn't recognize the Coke slogan, the Coke colours and other Coke branding?  Here are four benefits that regular homework will have: Parents and their children will have a structured activity to complete together. A homework routine will help to establish a culture of discipline for both the parent and the child. The child will develop study habits. Over time, the parent wi...

The issue of giving homework at primary schools is a hot potato. Generally, schools believe that homework is an important learning activity. This is where the similarity ends. At wealthier schools,  homework is an embedded whole school practice. At the other end of the spectrum where we find poor schools, homework as a school-wide learning activity is practically non-existent. Why is this so? Homework culture at poor schools Teachers at poor schools tell me that giving homework is a waste of time. They say the homework is never done because the parents are not interested. Teachers will list other issues like the following:  parents work long hours, the caregivers of many of their children are grandparents or parents are unable to help children with their homework. Teachers respond  by not setting homework assignments at all. Sadly, this decision is not shared with parents and in the main, parents do not question this either. Homework culture at wealthy schoo...