Pregnancy & Parenting

Homework

Pregnancy & Parenting

Posted by: Anonymous

10th Jun 2007 03:22pm

How much time is your child spending on homework? Do you think they have too much or too little? How old are they? Are they at public or private school?


Comments 132

Anonymous
  • 6th Aug 2012 01:55pm

None of my kids are in school yet, but as a primary school teacher I know all too well how much time homework can take if parents are constantly there to 'take over' when it comes to homework completion. We only email out 1 A4 page of homework to be completed on the computer and sent back via email. This serves to simply review and practice the topics covered that week in class. Is it too much...no way! But certainly giving out booklets for homework is a bit much. Homework should be done by the school kids and if they require help a simple email to their teacher should solve their query.

narda
  • 28th Jun 2011 08:50pm

My child is 10 and spends very little time doing homework. She is at a public school. After school activities takes up most afternoons and saturdays.

Qsita
  • 16th May 2011 01:44pm

I am a teacher and I am "anti-homework". Students already spend 8+hours at school plus the time to do homework, and believe me, many teachers use homework as a weapon or as a means to getstudents filling in books. No, I think that whatever they have to learn they should learn it at school and just have projects that studens would enjoy doing set as "homework" or none at all...

chatsalot
  • 15th May 2011 12:54pm

Both my boys are in a public primary school, they have spelling and reading every night and a homework sheet is sent home once a week, they find it easy enough. I don't think that is too much as all they would do if they didn't have this to do would be to walk around the house saying they were bored.

Anonymous
  • 20th Apr 2011 11:47am

I have a 7 year old in year two who has been receiving homework since she was in kinder. She spends about 1/2 an hour each week day on it, doing a range of English, maths and other activities including craft. She is from a public school.
I believe that starting her at such a young age is helping her to develop a routine for high school, uni and adult life.
It also helps us stay in touch with what she is doing at school and areas she may be struggling with. I do believe that she maybe is receiving too little.

Anonymous
  • 12th Apr 2011 07:06am

my 2 girls get homework every night i reackon that it is good for them its not to much i feel it is just enough

Anonymous
  • 8th Apr 2011 08:06am

I have a 13yo son (public High School) and on average he will get 90mins of homework each night. Sometimes he find his time management a bit of a struggle but generally he finishes it all on time. My 11yo daughter so far this year has had no homework (public Intermediate school) and my 7yo son (public Primary School) gets reading and a homework sheet to complete during the week.

Anonymous
  • 11th Dec 2010 06:59pm

I try to encouage my child (yr 5) to complete homework as I had problems with too much responsibility at home and I was also punished by my teacher at school for my writing (which was neat old english running writing, when they forced me to change over to modern cursive- by giving me detention for morning tea, lunch and after school, along with missing out on all school subjects during class time to write my abc) I was at her age. I can not even now at 30 after years of trying to learn say I am able to do many basic maths problems or even multiply very well. I have problems with writing and struggle with spelling and grammer, I do not know what or where many body organs are or what they do, and although I get along okay, I have times when I get embarressed, feel frustrated and even feel ashamed. I am not smart nor am I stupid, but many people misjudge me by these things and although I dont worry about them, I get really ashamed and upset when I can't help my children with what a verb is, what 6 x 8 =, how to work out the area or perimetre of something and where and what does the liver or kidneys do.
My child is eager to learn and is happy to break up her homewrork and do intervels of it so that it's less strain. At the moment her homework amount varies and she might to it in one 20 min lot after afternoon tea, or two or three 30 min lots if she's working on a project. Mainly she works on atleast two things an afternoon (but sometimes does more) by varying subjects each day so she's doing different things. My daughter is 10 years, just finished year 5 in a public school, homework given to her by her teacher this year was given on Monday and due on Friday morning but sometimes extra homework items were given on top mid week. I think the amount has been fine she's had little problem keeping up except being slack occasionally. But most kids dont like homework so I am not worried about her occationally feeling this way I only remind her it's important to learn so that she will be able to choose what she wants to be when she feels ready....

grandmadicker
  • 8th Dec 2010 01:33pm

Primary School children should not have homework. The Primary School should be able to provide all the education a child needs between the school hours. High School onwards the child needs extra therefore a maximum of 2 hours homework should be given- not hours and hours as most are getting now.

Anonymous
  • 17th Nov 2010 01:02pm

both my boys go to a public school.one just started high school this year (12) and the other is in year 4 (9) both schools to date have been great in relation to outside school activities and homework. i believe homework is necessary as it reminders students of work previously done. i have noticed a hugh difference in my younger sons work and his own ability to work through difficult maths problems. i am extremely lucky both my boys excel at school and have done so from day one. my oldest boy is in the top class as his high school and doing well, i think this is partly because from the first day of homework in kindy we set a timetable for homework and playtime and as every year has gone by we adjust to suit the situation. i believe that from kindy students should do 10-15 minutes per day and gradually this time should increase to no more that 30 minutes for a child in year 6

jbean
  • 27th Oct 2010 01:45pm

ahh reading some of the forum I have just remebered I was supposed to buy some poster papaer for my daughter aged 11 to finish a homework project
I am suprised at times how complex their homework can be and it is in a format where they choose a what they do and they have to complete so many units in a given time
I do like that it helps them to work to a deadline can you guess what usually happens
anyway I suppose that the teachers need to look at the value of homework as wellas I noticed ther was discussion about the value of end of school exams but thats a whole other can of worms!!!!

eljacko
  • 29th Apr 2010 12:52pm

2 to 3 hours a night

Kat
  • 2nd Mar 2010 11:43am

Also PUBLIC AND PROUD. My youngest child Miss 6, who is in 2nd grade, has a list of 20 words given to her Monday and is tested on them Friday so we go over them together most week nights. She also has a reader and usually does 4 or 5 nights a week of reading. She winges about doing it sometimes but she knows that until it's done she cannot go and play. At this age I feel that this is a good amount to get into the habit of knowing there will be work to be done outside of school hours and the reward for it is the satisfaction you got all your ansers right and your teachers and family are proud of you. (I know this will change!!) I also have Master 9 who has intellectual and physical disabilities and attends a Special School, but he still has his reader and is an exceptionally good reader, which goes to his enjoying it so much. I am a single parent and both my kids participate in sports outside of school but I really feel that making sure you find the time to get them into good study habits early on will benefit them greatly when they are older. They don't need to be drowned in homework, sport, friends, family and relaxation are also important.

zell
  • 12th Jun 2009 05:18pm

Personally, as a medical student last time, i spend 16 hours each day studying for exam. I take coffee everyday. Is really depend on your child. If he has altheletic potential, encourage him to become a sportsman. Just let your kid choose what he wants to do. This is thebest for him. My parents did a great job for that!

WahWah
  • 24th Nov 2008 06:19pm

I think homework is important to teach us how to teach ourselves. In primary school though, I think that instead of 'homework' as we know it, the work should be given out at school and the kids be given an hour or so in the library (or classroom) to work on it independently (without teacher help) and allowed to take it home to finish if they need to. However, some topics like timetables, reading, and spelling, still need to be reinforced at home. It also gives children and parents time together one-on-one. I remember learning timetables with my parents by reciting them during the drive to/from school and as we washed the dishes. When I went to uni and was studying for exams we started doing this again for the things that needed to be learnt by rote. You need to talk some things through to remember them properly and that would get pretty loud in most classrooms!

Adam
  • 6th Sep 2008 01:41pm

i understand that homework is important to keep up with your studies, but having too much homework could be harmful to a childs physical health. Teachers encourage children to play and be active but then give them added homework which restricts them from this. Its all very silly.

NICKOMAC
  • 8th Sep 2008 09:53pm
i understand that homework is important to keep up with your studies, but having too much homework could be harmful to a childs physical health. Teachers encourage children to play and be active...

Im in my final couple of weeks of Year 11, till exams that is, and am getting roughly 3 - 4 hours of homework a night, before being hassled by my parents to study, I hardly get any down time and am constantly hassled about work, I'm pretty much over it, but what can you do?

Captured
  • 22nd Aug 2008 01:24pm

My 5 year old daughter is in a composite K1 class at school. She is given the Kinder homework which is a sheet of 6-8 "activities/tasks", as well as her nightly home reader/s.
My daughter loves reading and will read over ten books some nights, other nights she will read just 1. She also loves doing homework and i have bought her extra educational workbooks/activity books to keep her happy.

My 4 year old son is walking in his big sisters footsteps and loves to attempt the same sort of work she is doing.

junlover
  • 15th Jun 2008 08:34pm

The thing is that going to a PRIVATE school means nothing - all you get is a flashy uniform, better sport, science equipment, and the thing is that students in selective schools (PUBLIC) get higher marks.

Anonymous
  • 13th Jun 2008 11:57am

We have two school aged children 10 and 6. In the younger years the 10 year old used to get more homework than he does now. The 6 year old gets a book to read each night and words to write out at the start of a week. Sometimes its a struggle to get them to do their homework as they play sports/ do sports training 4 times a week which only leaves 1 afternoon for whole family activity which we would prefer to be playing and having fun together as we have joint custody and the time that we do have them is very precious. I think that by the end of a long day at school kids want to be able to have fun and play. I know when I was that age we never had homework until later years like highschool, doing assignments etc. Honestly I prefer my kids to enjoy their childhood and be able to have fun as much as possible because life is too short to be stuck inside doing schoolwork and when they get older I want them to show the initaitve to get a job and get into the workforce to prepare for thye real world. If they choose uni or continued study - great! That will be thier choice.

stitches
  • 5th Jun 2008 09:16pm

I'm a single Dad of an 8yo daughter attending a public school
I think at this early age what she is given is manageable and necessary, it takes no more then 30 minutes each day and sometimes we do it in the arvo sometimes in the morn
I think the routine of study is important to be recognised, there is so much to learn at this age and without the homework they would not understand a lot
My gripe is the mixing (composite) classes. Surely with normally intelligent children you get a mix of ones who understandanddont
now you have a class with 2 different ages who do - dont understand. From what I see it appears the teacher is toooo far stretched to try to teach coriculum across 2 different afe groups? cheers joe

scrappamammy
  • 4th Jun 2008 07:17am

I have 7 children at home and we homeschool. Forget homework!!!!

Amy
  • 9th May 2008 12:22pm

torn into two about this topic. One a little can't hurt about an hour a day i guess. On the other hand when you go out and get a job they don't send homework home for you to do so why get the kids to do homework what will that achieve?

octopus
  • 6th May 2008 01:44pm

PS..I totally agree with NattyB. If its causing grief in the family, dont bother!!

octopus
  • 6th May 2008 01:43pm

As a mother of 5, ranging in age from 16mths - 16 I have strong views that the kids get tooooo much homework; especially in primary school. I just dont thinkit is necessary!!

tracwy
  • 6th May 2008 01:32pm

not old enough for homework yet

NattyB
  • 3rd May 2008 06:37am

As a mother of 3 and a full time primary teacher I do believe in chidren having homework but now that all of my children have reached school age, my views on how much and when it should be done have significantly changed. For working parents, meaning those who are at work from 9till5 or longer and their children attend before and after school care, I can fully appreciate the stress and angst homework can cause in their household each week! I have working hours that are more amiable towards getting the homework completed at a more suitable time in the afternoon (ie. before dinner and the kids get too tired), and quite often it still is a time of angst and we are pushed to fit it in with all of the kids other extra curricular activities. Kids also still need to be kids and enjoy these extra curricular activities to become more well rounded citizens as they grow up. They also need to understand in our society that there is a need to prioritise and meet deadlines so that we are preparing them for when they are young adults but ... we don't need to creating undue stress in the home environment and putting the additional pressure of assigning homework that is too difficult for children to be able to complete on their own (or complete with minimal assistance) as this is counterproductive and really new work should be learnt in the classroom where they can get the extra support and time to fully understand and learn. Too many parents appear to be having to basically do the homework for their children who are unable to complete it - haven't they already finished their own education!!!! My professional belief of homework setting is that it should be able to be completed by the student independently (or with minimal assistance), based on work that they have been doing the previous week (purpose being to revise and cement their learnings) and they should have a full week to complete it rather than hand it in each day (to cater for those who have other activities on during the week). I have even gone so far as to hand out the homework on the monday and not mark it until the following monday to cater for those students who have sporting commitments etc during the school week, and the parents are fully appreciative of this - provides the opportunity to complete it on the weekend if they need to rather than getting in 'trouble' for not getting the chance to do their homework during the week! HOMEWORK IS NOT A TASK IN MY BELIEF THAT SHOULD EVER CAUSE UNDUE STRESS IN THE FAMILY HOME BETWEEN PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN - THERE ARE MANY OTHER ISSUES FOR PARENTS TO BE AT ODDS WITH THEIR CHILD ABOUT DURING THEIR CHILDHOOD WITHOUT ADDING THIS EXTRA PRESSURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

penny
  • 4th Apr 2008 01:27pm

I feel rude to intrude, because i'm not actually a mum, but i feel the need to reply to this topic..

when i was growing up, in primary school i didn't get much homework, all i remember was that in grade 5 and 6 we got a weekly homework task that had a variety of subjects on it, but maths and english were on it everyweek. I am now suprised to see that some kids are getting homework that is due in the next day! Now this would be really hard for a working family or if the child simply doesn't understand the task in hand. i beleive that school is for learning, and homework is where we practice what we have learned.
I personally beleive that the young kids in the early years of primary school shouldnt be set homework tasks, unless its infrequent

heidi
  • 3rd Mar 2008 10:30am

My son is 16yrs and hardly ever does homework. He has average intelligence and passes without the study but I get frustrated that he doesn't try for better results. He works part-time and so I wouldn't want him to have too much homework but he spends all his time on his computer with his friends, so a balance would be nice.

Blue
  • 2nd Mar 2008 12:14pm

My 14 year old daughter who is at College is expected to do 20 mins of homework per subject a night. Work that out. 5 subjects a day? How are they meant to cope with that when they are also expected to take part in out of school activities such as sport music etc. Are they really taking it all into their brains when they have been doing it all day at school too? It is very hard for children nowadays, the pressures are huge. One more thing how is a mother (or father) expected to help their kids when they have such a huge amount of homework. I have three children and they all need nightly help, its tough trying to split myself into three, help them and cook dinner at he same time. Thats assuming we are not out at swimming, drama, cricket, guitar, or horseriding!

Bronnie
  • 1st Mar 2008 05:00pm

I have three teenage children who each have varying amounts of homework. Last year my then 17year old (year 13) was told by his principal half way through the year that he had enough credits to get through his NCEA level 3, this meant that when he was given work to do at home, he didn't do it, he didn't study for exams etc. I am disappointed that this happened as he should have been encouraged to continue to study whether he had enough credits or not. This year he is at University and since starting last week, he has had a lot of work to do at home, so when in high school they should be encouraged to do work at home to get them into the routine of doing so. My 16 year old daughter has homework, but only probably 2times a week, and my 14 year old just doesn't do what he is assigned to do, even with me bugging him to do so. My children go to a public school.

misfit
  • 1st Mar 2008 08:33am

I think homework encourages the bring work home culture. Too little emphasis is placed on family time and the importance of it. No homework is a great idea>

Dory
  • 1st Mar 2008 03:49am

My year 12 daughter gets so much homework sometimes she's up late trying to finish it. I think teachers need to realise that some children have extra curricular activities or jobs at this age. They don't realise that if the child has even half an hour from each subject and it's all due next day, that could be 3 hours' homework! My year 10 son, on the other hand barely has any homework and when I queried one of his teachers he said there should be no need for homework, the work should be completed in class. I study as well, and I know that the books say it is important to recap on what you've just learned, maybe just a bit of simple revision each on each subject would be better. Both are at public schools.

rachel
  • 29th Feb 2008 04:10pm

My five year old has just started school and his only homework is a reader book. In primary school I think reading and a little bit of maths for reinforcement is a good thing. Teachers don't always have time to assist each individual one on one.
My 14 year old gets minimal homework which I think is sad as a suitable amount of homework encourages one to take interest in new things, manage time and prepare for exams - these which have an impact on your future study/work opportunities. Public schools in NZ

Trish
  • 29th Feb 2008 01:06pm

i have 4 kids and the 9 year old I think gets too much homework. I think they should have maths,spelling,reading but whats with the projects. As for the 3 teenagers they need homework because they seem to just be mucking around at school all day. all in public schooling.

Kochy
  • 29th Feb 2008 12:48pm

Yes, there is far too much homework, reading & spelling maybe, but all this other stuff, that's all my children do when they get home and if they have sports after school, well they are up all night trying to get their homework finished so they don't get a detention. It's not on, that's what school is for. I have a 12 year old and 15 year one at primary and one a a private school.

Kochy
  • 29th Feb 2008 12:45pm

Yes, there is far too much homework, reading & spelling but all this other stuff, that's all my children do when they get home and if they have sports after school, well they are up all night trying to get their homework finished so they don't get a detention. It's not on, that's what school is for.

Donna
  • 25th Feb 2008 12:08pm

i have a nine year old attending a private school, with very high standards. i too have mixed feelings about homework, particularly for the younger grades. at first, i was an advocate of homework, but as the years have gone on, i have become less and less so. my daughter is in year 5 now, and has homework every night that must be handed in the next day. although we don't have busy lives, as i have insisted that school comes first and extracurricular activities are kept to a minimum, i think learning should be kept inside the school. what children are taught now is very different to what i learned at school. i think some of the concepts and topics are trying to push children far ahead of what they need to be, instead of re-inforcing the basics. i think a reader each night, and rather than coming home and having to do more work, a revision sheet of what they have learned each day that they simply read through with their parents (who then sign it to show the child has read it) to re-inforce what they've learned that day. then the parents could understand what the child is learning too, and they actually understand the concepts before spending hours repeating it over and over. i too think that homework, where the students actually have to do a worksheet, sentences etc. should be introduced in year 5 or 6, as year 7 is now being phased into high school, and i think that's a little late.

but when did it become a parents responsibility to continue teaching outside the school? since my daughter has started school there have been two different methods for word structure learning, they are now learning different methods in maths, and as for the spelling words.... in grade three my daughter was practicising her words whilst waiting in a queue. another child asked what grade she was in, and i told her. she was surprised, as the words my daughter was practicising were similar to what she was learning - and she was in grade 7.... i find some of the new methods confusing also....

i think children are having too much work that is ineffective for too long. it turns learning into a chore from an early age, and i think there is too much emphasis on fancy new techniques instead of the basics. learning should be fun and informative, not simply getting the kids to churn out facts and figures rote-style. teaching seems to have become about the common denominator, instead of individuality. gifted children are often ignored and much attention is paid to those who aren't quite keeping up, as the thought often is "oh well, they're gifted, they don't need help, they can keep up". the problem is that gifted children can get bored very easily, and can lose interest if they aren't stimulated educationally. i also think class sizes are too large, and there aren't enough male teachers in the system.

there is enough drudgery and work throughout life, with the average life expectancy and working life getting longer and longer. work smarter, not harder, should be the motto.

Angie
  • 12th Feb 2008 04:24pm

Hi, I only have a 1 year old but have been told by friends with primary age kids that the homework load is ridiculous! What happened to kids going outside and playing after coming home rather than sitting in front of a computer. I've also been told that the teachers run out of time going through things at school so give it to the kids for homework. Wasnt home work meant to be a revision of the days work - some simple dictation, spelling or maths - or creative writing project as they get older.
I have also been told that its not only the kids to blame but the parents and the fierce competitiveness between them and the expectations they place on their kids on how to present things. One example was a friend of mine who is a high school teacher, and her 8 year old completed a project poster by hand all by herself and the primary teacher marked her down because it wasn't done on computer. Who is to say the computer ones arent done by parents themselves. I think parents guilty of doing the homework for their children, should sit back and let the littlies do it themselves. I've never heard anything more ridiculous and demoralising as it was for this particular little girl. Parents with primary kids should boycott all types of homework not relevant to revision! Bring it on :)

AnxiousOne
  • 4th Feb 2008 07:33pm

I know that it says this is for mums, but I'm the stay at home dad, and I want a chance to have my say!

My children used to be at a small public school and had homework each week - given on Monday, due back Friday - from Kindergarten right through to Year 6. They, with parental help, managed to balance school homework, fun, extra curricular activities and they enjoyed doing some of everything. Their academic achievement was quite good.

They are now at a private school and the homework is a lot less. But sport is much more, especially for my oldest child. And guess what? Their academic achievement has dropped markedly. I'll be at my school this week to have (yet another) chat!

denise
  • 14th Jan 2008 03:49pm

my son goes to public school.he gets home work to do which he is truggling with sometimes but when he brings it to school teacher doesnt look at it or mark it and sometimes shes marked something wrong when it was actually right.im going crazy

Sue
  • 14th Jan 2008 10:47am

I have three children. One has just finished year 12, one is going into year 11 and the other into year 9. They are at a state secondary college. I believe kids need to do homework, even if it just a short time while at primary school to get them used to the idea of doing a great deal more study at secondary school. Assignments aren't the only type of homework, there is reading, revision, and research, also finishing work not completed in class. Getting ready for exams shouldn't be left to the night before!!! They kids who get the most from their time at school are the ones who put in time at school and at home. It doesn't have to be onerous - you can make homework time interesting for your kids, you just have to be a little inventive. When they are young, they shouldn't be sitting there for an hour at a time. Try 15 to 20 minutes and then a 10 minute break, until the work is completed. It seems to work, and the older kids know when they need a break. Kids are at school for only a short time in the scheme of things and they should make the most of that time. The better your education, the more options are open for you when you have finished your years at school.

shazzdan
  • 17th Dec 2007 07:52am

i am a mother of 4 with another on the way, my oldest boys are 9 and 10 in years 3 and 4 at a public primary school, they get homework set on a monday due back on the friday and usually it would involve about half an hour per night however i am continually writing letters to their teachers excusing their homework not being done as the boys have cricket training monday and thursday and they play friday and saturday my daughter does dancing on tuesday nights which really doesn't give them the chance to sit down and do their homework my boys go to bed at 8.15 every night and read or play scrabble, pictionary or similar for 30 mins then it's lights out i think this gives them time to wind down from the day while giving them reading spelling experiences they don't even realise they are doing and works better then having set homework which they often just sit and stare out or argue about.
I don't think children need homework everynight at primary school i think thay need to just be children too many kids are growing up way to fast and are not equipped with everyday experiences to handle that

rosiec
  • 16th Dec 2007 12:55pm

My daughter started kindi this year and she goes to a catholic school. She is 6 years old. She receives 4 sheets of work to do plus a home reader every week. She probably spends between 30 - 45 minutes doing homework each day from Monday to Thursday. At first I thought it was too much but as the year has gone by, I found it great. She tolerates it and she has excelled alot. To me, I feel it is great for her because as she gets older, there will be more and more work for her to do. Now, she just accepts that this is a part of her schooling life. Why put off the inevitable?

Anonymous
  • 14th Dec 2007 11:34am

My view on homework is that there shouldn't be any! They spend enough time at school without having to do it at home with parents always on their backs about doing it! Now that I've had my winge I still force my son to complete it in time and I hate myself for it. I believe they should have assignments to do at home with a few weeks or more to do it but there should be less pressure at home. (not just for the kids but parents too!)

Anonymous
  • 14th Dec 2007 11:07am

My children go to a catholic school. Varies each year with how much homework. This yr my gr5 boy doesnt have alot. The teacher believes they work hard enough at school. But he does do an hour minimum of reading a night. My gr3 boy teacher has same notion. so hardly any homework at all

mancole6
  • 22nd Nov 2007 12:48pm

My children dont seem to get Home work. They do have their readers and miss 5 has to read hers every night, but my other two (9 and 10) only have to read them at thei own leisure.

bomber719
  • 13th Nov 2007 05:13pm

My children are 5 & 7yrs old Grade1 & 3 respectively. They get up to 30 minutes a day homework & it has given my 5yr old so much confidence in his reading. He enjoys reading to us just as we enjoy listening to him read & seeing how he has progressed in the year.

From starting grade 1 this year till now he is up to level 11 readers. They go to a public school.

trace38
  • 9th Nov 2007 12:19am

Our children spend between half to one hour a day on homework & they are 7yrs & 11yrs. I think they have enough maybe sometime too much as they have extra-curricular activities too. So sometime it is hard to fit it all in. They are at a public school.

Deb
  • 7th Nov 2007 07:46pm

My daughter is in Grade 2 and the only homework she is required to do is her home reader, although back at the beginning of the year the class asked the teacher to set them some homework, which us mums found hard to believe.

Bo
  • 7th Nov 2007 02:40pm

Bo Whitten Surfers Paradise Homework should only be an half an hour .It gives the child a chance to have some imput from the parents.It is not the actual work that is important but the benefits of the parent working with the child on school work.

tasha
  • 6th Nov 2007 01:44pm

too much i feel my son is in primary and i have to struggle to encourage my child to do his homework because he complains he is too tired

Polly
  • 4th Nov 2007 03:01pm

My children spend between 1-3hrs per day. I feel this is more than enough for them as they also have out of school commitments as well eg. dancing karate. My daughter also has a tutor for one hour per week.

thorny_devilau
  • 31st Oct 2007 03:59pm

My son is in grade 3, and his homework consists of - 10 minutes reading, 10 minutes fitness, 10 minutes relaxation, and 1 household chore daily... as well as that, he has a list of other tasks to complete over a 2 week period (usually does 1 from this list each night).
Other tasks are - help cook a family meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner), using the computer/internet (email, or research, or typing in word, or drawing in 'paint' for example), helping with the shopping, playing a board game with an adult, reading a book to an adult or a younger sibling, and there are a few others to choose from.

While most of them are great tasks, it does become very time consuming, especially as most of the tasks need an adult present.

Lynne
  • 30th Oct 2007 10:21pm

My three children have been at a private school and have had consisitnet homework since kindergarten. It was helpful that a time limit was set and if they hadn't finished it in the appropriate time then we could write in their diaries and they would be excused. On the postive, they have developed goo dhome study habits a sthey are now in high school and cope well with what is required. IOn the negative, there has often been litltle time left for free time after homewrok and sport or music commitments. On balance I think regular homework is good but should be about 1/2 hour in junior school and encouragement of other activies such as cooking, gardening, reading and family time should be given.

Jo
  • 28th Oct 2007 02:11pm

I find it varies - my son in Year 10 doesnt seem to do alot not as much as i can remember doing, he is at a Sports High School and my son who is in Year 7 at a Catholic High School has more then my older two sons had he usually has about an hour a night - usually maths. Getting him to do it is another thing!!!!!
Personally I dont think either of them seem to have enough.

Anonymous
  • 21st Oct 2007 11:04am

I have 3 teenage sons and they refuse to do home work in year 8 there asked to revise for 1 hr per day year 9 have do do 2 and so on with the grades. I think there should be home work, my sons are 13 14 16 and go to different public schools

Anonymous
  • 21st Oct 2007 11:01am

I have 3 teenage sons and they refuse to do home work in year 8 there asked to revise for 1 hr per day year 9 have do do 2 and so on with the grades. I think there should be home work, my sons are 13 14 16 and go to different private schools

shell
  • 16th Oct 2007 08:49pm

I think it all comes down to the child, how well they are doing at school, and if they need any extra help. I have two children, my oldest loves school and does well without much effort, whereas the younger one is a struggle to even get through the school gate in the mornings and does need extra help with her studies. I also know that i would love them both to continue to university which i am only doing part-time at the moment and have to put in a lot of "homework" to keep up. I would rather them be prepared and already have a study or homework routine so they can do the best for themselves. Also in the case of my childrens schools, which are both public and fantastic as well, any homework they had to do was , in most cases, only class work they had not completed at school anyway.

Cow Mum
  • 9th Oct 2007 10:26am

I have three children, two of which are currently at school. 9 year old in grade 4 and a 6 year old in grade 1 at Public School. I have found with both of my children that while homework was a fun novelty in the beginning, this very soon wore off and most times homework can be a chore. My husband and I try many different approaches to try to keep in fun and stress free. Like others have mentioned, our girls participate in after school activities and between the two of them this means we are not home from school until after 5.30pm three days a week - this is with them both only having two activities they participate in, I'm sure it is going to get worse when my 4 year old is also at school and his activities can't be done in school time!

We are lucky that my 6 year olds teacher doesn't like homework and so she doesn't receive an awful lot at this stage - just a home reader every night (which she loves to do and so do her father and I, as it is nice quality time to spend together before bed), plus spelling words for the week given on Monday and tested on Friday with a couple of activities to complete involving these words. My 9 year old who is in grade 4 has always been alot harder to get enthusiastic about her homework - just a different personality. She also seems to find the activities boring and useless, however, if the homework is of interest to her, it is completed efficiently and with much enthusiasm and too a much higher level. I therefore think that maybe as the children advance through the grades that the content and approach of the homework should be looked at rather than just the three Rs.

Basically, I think that homework is a necessary evil but perhaps teachers and schools as a whole should take a better look at the type of homework they are setting their students and try engaging them more!!!

netters
  • 28th Sep 2007 08:14am

My public primary school children have far too much homework, my grade 6 son(11 years) has up to an hour each week night, as well as reading every night, my grade 5 daughter (10 years) has about 1/2 an hour per night with a lot of computer searching and reading every night, too mush stress for little kids

margie68
  • 27th Sep 2007 08:23pm

I have 5 children and at present the oldest who is in year 9 at high school chooses to only complete assignments at home. Her supposed homework she does waiting for the bus in the afternoon and morning. I dont push her to do this but have found that if I ask her what is happening for homework I usually get some details but never get to see the results until it is marked. The younger 2 that are in year 6 and 7 both do homework of an afternoon for about an hour although that is usually while eating their afternoon tea. I have found that from a young age i worked with my kids reading and encouraging them to work through problems so once they reached school the idea that homework helped them to understand what they were taught during the day and made it easier to remember at exam time. My youngest 2 are 3 and 4 which is such a cute age they play school and depending on which one is teacher for the time give each other homework and i find them coming to me for help with it. It may be cute but it is also helping them to know that it is a much needed time for them to grow up knowing support is there whether from teachers or their mother.

leahha
  • 24th Sep 2007 10:49am

forgot to say he is at a public school that recongises how smart he is and helps him stop being bored by the more challenging work....

leahha
  • 24th Sep 2007 10:48am

My son is 5 in Kindergarton and enjoys his homework we both do....He does his kindergarten homeowrk in 10 mins, without asking for any help he then does his year 1 homework and has that done in 10 mins, then it is just sight words for the rest of the week and a home reader.....most nights instead of me reading him a story for bed he has to read me first then we read a story together....MOst people reading this will think I have made a mistake with yr 1 homework you say but he is in kindy....He is a bright young boy that is advanced in everything in school he goes to yrs 1 for maths handwriting and reading.....He is in kindy to get his social skills up and his age....I am hoping to push him up to yr 2 next yr and miss yr 1 all together as he has done both 1 and kindy in kindy....

jenni
  • 21st Sep 2007 09:23pm

Kids need to be more active outside. As most parents work these days it would be better if they could all spend the time talking or going for a bike ride or a walk. I have a daughter who is a teacher she said they only give homework because parents expect it. How many parents knock off from work to continue working when they get home (if they can help it?) Kids especially those in after school care have a long enough regimented day as it is.

ausgirl1@hotmail,com
  • 21st Sep 2007 08:20pm

yes they get a lot more than our days and it is very stress full to come home for them to sit arfter school just to do more school work it is hard enough these days to even cope with a singments and they are what there main marks are on now it is not fair on them

Smooie
  • 21st Sep 2007 05:53pm

My kids are in private school. Yr 4 and Yr 7. The homework level for Yr 4 is astronomical. The kids get real bored real quick with a term=long project studying 1 subject. Yr 7 has had hardly anything in comparison. Homework gets too much when the amount of work is outwaying the hours in the day to do it along with sport and other commitments. I agree some homework should be done but more along the lines of repetition of times tables, maths facts and spelling - the basics really. My Yr 4 is being tutored as these haven't been focused on as much as should have been in past year.

Lyn
  • 21st Sep 2007 04:59pm

I believe there should be homework it gets the child into a routine that they know what has to be done it also helps their teachers as well as parents with the area that needs to be worked on ie if your child isn't grasping a maths concept the teacher needs to know and also the parent needs to know what way maths for example is done today rather than when they went to school. I know you come up with the right answer your way but the child wont benefit in an exam if he doesnt do the maths properly as taught today not 10 or 20 years ago. Also if the child does their homework then the teacher can see by the way the child has done it if they are understanding what is said in class

tasha
  • 21st Sep 2007 01:59pm

I believe that public schools and private schools give young children homework to improve themselves, you get out of education what you expect .I suppose the extra effort in reading and numeracy is helpful. I also feel children need time to relax, be kids and play outside and a little homework does not hurt anyone~ I have a friend whos daughter complains she has no time for fun because of her homework load and she attends a private school. Kids need social skills as well as education. It seems a good idea if a healthy balance between the two can be met.

mez
  • 21st Sep 2007 09:06am

My son is 12 and in year 7 and they never seem to be given homework. When I have questioned teachers about homework their response is if they dont finish their work then that is homework but i dont really give homework out. The amount of work my son does in class is something that i would expect from a grade 2 or 3.
The school system has failed compared to when we went to school. It needs to be changed.
How can our kids learn if they are only being taught bare minimum at school.
And here the other end of the scale. My grandson is 5yrs and in prep but he is expected to do the work and have the knowledge of a 8 yr old and then his mum is being told the child is not good enough. My grandson seems to do more than my 12 yrs son.
Work that out. The system is not working.

Gran
  • 21st Sep 2007 08:57am

My children have now all left school but when my youngest two were in highschool they would still be up late at night studying or trying to complete many assignments. i think that the teachers should be aware of the number of assignments that a kid has before assigning more oin the same time frame. There is enough pressure on our kids to get good marks but they should not have to put up with loss of sleep as well.

snow
  • 21st Sep 2007 08:36am

I guess my sons lucky his school allows the kids to do any revision/homeworks at school, so he comes home and is able to relax from school for the day. But overall, I don't think there is any need for homework.

Bubz
  • 21st Sep 2007 06:56am

I have 2 children. One homeschooled and one in the public system.

My home schooled child does all his work through the school day. The other still gets occassional homework but as such probably only spends about 30 mins a week doing homework. She is grade 5

Felix Fan
  • 8th Sep 2007 09:43am

Arrgh this topic really bugs me. I have 4 children ranging from 11-15 the amount of family/home time that is taken up by homework is ridiculious! They each spend on average a bit more than an hour a day when they get home. This is not including extra "projects" they have to do. By they weekend, they are exhausted. This is not being a kid!

sandy48
  • 8th Sep 2007 12:48am

I think giving kids homework is a waste of time , my daughter in year 6 brings homework home , half of it she doesnt understand , because the way they work maths out is so different to the way we were taught at school we find it hard to help her, she gets stressed out and upset that she does not understand it .

chugs
  • 6th Sep 2007 05:19pm

I can only go off my own personal experience. I found homework to be completely pointless when I lacked teachers who cared and had a completely unstable family and personal life.

I remember studying maths in my HSC, for hours, trying to learn something that I could not comprehend. It was frustrating, depressing and just so utterly pointless.

One issue begets the other, my mental health problems result from an unstable family life. My attempts of self-medication and denial resulted in teachers (who should of known better) disliking me with a passion.

So as long as you've got three strong pillars going for your kids, family, good teachers and stable mental health, then homework perhaps is an effective tool in reinforcing learning.

Without one of those pillars everything just falls.

Jode
  • 6th Sep 2007 10:51am

I think as a parent there is too much homework for children these days. I have 9yr old twin boys in Year 3 and they struggle each week to get their homework finished by Thursday night. They spend 6hrs at school, I don't think they need to spend any more time at home having to do homework. I have spoken to the teachers and they have told me this is the minimum required. Yet I have spoken to other mums who have their children at catholic schools and the kids don't get homework till at least Year 4 or 5, why can't all schools be the same!

Ginger Toffee
  • 28th Aug 2007 11:21pm

Apart from reading practise and times tables which are better rote learnt in my opinion I would just ban homework. I hate it.

I have 3 girls - one now 20 and at uni is swamped with work toward her degree to an unbelievable extent! I could help her in 1st year but she is way past me now.

Second is 12 and in last year of public primary - she seems to spend all week doing homework when I would rather she was doing music practise, playing sport, walking the dog and household stuff - not to mention just being a kid with her friends. I get really good marks for her projects!!! She does well at school and doesn't really need all the extra stuff in my opinion.

Number three is 7 in year 1 and never seems to get through her homework either with all the after school activites - gym, piano lessons and practice, netball - training and playing. I make sure she reads her readers and everything else arouind her. As one of the other respondants who is a teacher is correct it is easier for the teachers to keep the work within the classroom situation. I would fully support that. I think hothousing - particularly the asian and indian kids in our area - produces a lot of useless nerds who are good at exams and useless in social situations and liife in general. They get shoehorned into careers they don't necessarily have a passion for because it is lucrative or high status in their parents eyes and end up very unhappy. Life is about a lot more than school!!! Learning happens everywhere, including hanging upside down from a tree branch, and noses in books prevent a lot of it.

Homework - if not actually banned - should be kept to bare minimum in primary school and be a whole lot less stressful in highschool as well. Creating balance, music, sport and home life maintenance should be given more space and time.

loz2233
  • 28th Aug 2007 06:13pm

i am in year 11 at a selective high school and have just recently felt the pressure of homework. In primary school, homework was more fun and i raced through all of it the first day i got it home. In high school homework has become a bore and i hardly did any of it over the past five years. Sometimes i will leave home at 7am and not get home until 11pm due school, part-time work and travel, and this has affected my ability to do my schoolwork. My advice is to encourage your kids to prioritise and plan when they should be doing what homework. At least then they will have a sound understanding of most areas, and will not stress too much. Public schools are great, although some of the resources are very outdated. I often find that my school would rather spend money on flashing lights in the hall than on updated textbooks.

kat
  • 28th Aug 2007 05:59pm

I am a private high school student in year nine. I have moved from melbourne to sydney and back to melbourne.. and I got far more homework in sydney then I did in melbourne. In year 5 and 6 I got regular homework and this helped the transition to year 7 a little. But in year 7 I used to do around 3 hours homework per night, plus I would have 3-6 assignments at the one time. We were given a study timetable but none of the teachers followed it. The worst one was maths, I used to sometimes do 1-1/2 hours of maths homework a night.. which took up other homework time. In year 8 I hardly got any.. and even in year 9 there are sometimes when I dont get any. The main study I do now is my LOTE (latin) as I have to learn new vocab every week. With the assignments, I think the teachers need to talk to each other as sometimes I still get 5-8 assignments at the one time.. and other times I have none. The worst time this year was exam time.. we still had ongoing homework and assignments plus the study we had to do to prepare for exams.. I was really stressing out!

Anonymous
  • 8th Aug 2007 05:08pm

Well personally i am the child and i think homework is over rated. it is ok to have one small activity but that turns into lots and lots of activities! aparently the privet school get more home woke than public but i disagree i think on average we get the same amount but there is still way too much! tonight i spent 3-4 hours on home work! and that is expected when you have 4 classes and 4 different teacher a day. [highschool] school is school and not home!!!

navygirl
  • 7th Aug 2007 03:34pm

Master 12 is getting assignments once a week in Yr 8, It appears to be on only one subject at a time and he spends anywhere to
1/2 hour to 2 hrs on it. Mind you, the homework usually relates to an assignment they have been working on in class so at least its not studying something that they haven't been taught. Master 6 is getting a reader and a word recognition exercise on 2 nights a week. They both go to a public state school.

Den
  • 2nd Aug 2007 08:01pm

It is important to do some revision with your child. Homework can take up way too much family time. Then there are sport committments to throw in to the mix. My 11 year old (year 6) does not have homework this year! Not good preparation for high school, so we do revision together

san
  • 2nd Aug 2007 06:05pm

I think children are given to much homework also. I have two grandchildren who are only in grade 1 and 3. They have had homework since there very first day at school. To much pressure from an early age to do well, when do they have time to be just kids, and enjoy themselves?

Bubbz
  • 2nd Aug 2007 04:39pm

My daughter is in her 5th form year, she seems to have been doing atleast 4 to 5 hours of homework nightly since she started highschool. I have often expressed my concern about the amount of homework she is expected to do even though she has been in advanced classes for english and maths. The teachers keep saying to me that they just don't have time for her to complete all of the work needed during the school day. Personally I believe the amount of work she does it just crazy but then again she is obviously gaining from it all. She has a brother who has just left school, he rarely did any homework always said that he had done it at school and yes he did get a pass for his 5th and 6th form years. There is another brother coming up behind her, once again he never seems to have as much homework that she did in form 2. It will be interesting to see how his highschool years go with his homework.
I have to say I do find it frustrating as I am a full time working mum and I do rely on the kids to pick up the slack around the house. I also suffer from Fibromyalgia which is a condition that comes from chronic fatigue syndrome, so yep I am up against it daily. I do need the kids help to enable us all to be able to do what we do, and for me to be able to provide for them.
All of my children have attended public schools, and seem to be doing well, with the eldest getting an apprenticeship in Bakery. My daughter wants to be a radiologist and is hoping to specialise. The youngest son is still to decide what he wants to do, my only rule is that they find a good well paying job so that they can keep me as I have kept them, and be able to look after me in my old age! No resthome for me...cruise ships all the way!!!

bj
  • 31st Jul 2007 08:03am

homework is a great way to find out if a student can work alone, use own ideas, and want to learn more.

Bec
  • 29th Jul 2007 08:38pm

a students perspective:
i am a student in year 10 at a private school. i come home and get almost straight to doing homework, study and assignments, staying up til about 10pm til i finish. it does vary however, depending on the time of year (because each teacher tends to give assignments all at once). Late last term, i was coming home at 4, rushing to my desk and not finishing til MINIMUM 12am. some nights it was about 2.30am, once or twice even 4am. that was just too many assignments. and everything has to be left last minute because of the pile up (eg a maths assignment has to be done majoritly the night before its due because the night before that a health asignment had to be done, the night before that, a sose assignment had to be done, etc.). I would like to study more but my time gets used up too quickly with general homework, finishing off work from class, and doing assignments.
although i think homework is fine, teachers need to figure out between the various departments which subject will get focus each night. for example, instead of each teacher giving an assignment and test towards the end of each unit (so we end up with 7 or so tests and assignments in a week), monday night maths and english could give homework, tuesday night sose and drama, wednesday japanese and science, etc. this would ensure a better balance and keep our knowledge and study of each subject up to date, rather than be bogged down with sose assignments non stop!
balance should be aimed for in life, and to enable school kids to achieve this, time needs to be set aside for homework, family, friends, exercise, leisure, etc (rather than all the time be homework). teachers pile on the homework - do they not realise that this time taken to do the assignments, etc means less time to spend with family?
homework is necesaary for personal development in life issues (eg timetables and learning not to procrastinate), but a compromise regarding amount needs to be reached.

Miz_Kaz
  • 24th Jul 2007 04:11pm

Hi, Interesting and contentious subject! I have a daughter in year 9 highschool. She has been bringing home homework since she started school. The homework is getting to be larger and larger amounts. In addition the students are being given assignments. I have a niggling suspicion that the large amounts of homework make up for the lack in classroom teaching...The pressure on students now seems to be greater than ever. My daughter misses the family time she could have because by the time she gets home and has had her snack etc, done her homework, had her evening meal, shower etc, it's time for bed or she can't get up at 5.45 am to catch her train to school.

Janine
  • 24th Jul 2007 12:21pm

My youngest is 9 years old and she gets a fair amount of homework to complete each week, it involves reading writing and arithmatic which I think is good old fashioned homework that does not do any harm. She also loves doing it and has often completed most of it by wednesday!!! However I have a 16 year old in year 11 who insisted on staying at school and does not even look at any books at home!!! I am encouraging her to find employment rather than continue. The schools do not seem to follow up 16 year olds with homework, they just mark them accordingly!!! Teenagers need more follow up than 9 year olds in my opinion. (as with the washing up!!!)

Que
  • 24th Jul 2007 11:22am

My Child is only 2 1/2 but i am not looking forward to him starting school with the scary craze of schools sending home homework from as young as reception these days. I like to spend time with my son in the evenings teaching and learning our own way, but we also like to spend time as a family playing board games or just having a family discusion. I am afraid this will be disrupted once he starts school. I only finished school myself 5 years ago and the amount of homeowrk i had then was astronomical, i hate to think what it will be like by the time my little Noah reaches highschool.

Anonymous
  • 23rd Jul 2007 10:28pm

I have 3 children in primary school. All 3 play football 3 days a week (including the Sat game) and 2 have other outside commitments. I'm sad to say we don't have time to sit down and ensure all homework gets done by friday. We both work full time and so i have basically left it up to the before and afternoon care teachers to see that the youngest gets his work done ( at least some of it ). The older two, i presume do their work and hand it in, though one report card told a different story. I once spoke to the principle of the school and he said when he was a class teacher he would not set homework as such, he would give all home reading to do nightly and then they were to revise the days work from school. I think this is a fantastic idea, given that the reading can be done at bed time and the revising can be reading over their work as i'm serving their dinner...

Nicki
  • 23rd Jul 2007 09:37pm

I have a constant battle with my 7 year old when it comes to homework. He is at a private school and finding the work load never eases up. With childhood obesity on the increase I would prefer to have my kids out running around or doing sport - they've already sat through a 6 hour day let's give them some time to be kids.

Mezza
  • 23rd Jul 2007 03:47pm

My children (9 & 12) who are both at a public school are reading for 20 minutes or more each weeknight. I believe they should also be doing some spelling and maths also, not necessarily on a daily basis, but at least to be completed over the week.

Anonymous
  • 23rd Jul 2007 03:19pm

Homework for primary kids is just silly. They go to school to learn, not do it all at home! I don't have time to sit down and do homework with the kids (they can't do it alone) after work. The teachers are just getting thier own back on us for sending the kids there!

polly
  • 23rd Jul 2007 02:28pm

I think society in Sydney is so fast, that by the time the kids get home from school, they just want to relax. Homework is just another chore. Although my 6 year old daughter enjoys doing her homework, it drives me nuts, having to cook, entertain her 4 year old sister, figure out what to do next, whilst hovering over my daughter, helping her. They need undivided attention. Schools should provide tutors, at no extra cost to parents for 1 hour, 3 days per week divoted just to homework. It would make life easier for all involved.

amy_michelle
  • 20th Jul 2007 01:57pm

I am in my final year of VCE and i feel homework is helpful however too much can bhave the oppisite effect.
I enjoy the policy at my school where you are set small amounts of homework and any other work you do is a benefit.

Princess_Holly_18
  • 19th Jul 2007 11:42am

I have 3 children at school. A 12 yr old she is in grade 7, a 14 yr old he is in grade 8 and a 16 yr old she is in grade 11. I think that my 12 yr old is spending way to much time doing homework when she spends 6 hr at school comes home and has to spend another 30 - 45 mins doing homework. She doesn't get to tbe a child with other comitments on the weekdays she has to spend most of her weekend doing homework instead of enjoying herself doing things like playing sport or watching movies. My 14 yr old son is spending the same amount of time at school and he comes home with about 30mins to 1 hr of home work a day but that is what i expect from him being in grade 8 sop he is doing the right amount of homework. However my 16 yr old daughter spends 6 & a half hour at school than comes home with maybe 15 mins of homework and she is in year 11 so i think it depends on the school, the teacher and the student on how much hoemwork is enough and how much is to much.

Anonymous
  • 18th Jul 2007 02:03am

My daughter who is 8, has had to do homework, ever since preps!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????? I didn't have to do homework, until I started high school. By the time she gets home she is stuffed from all the schoolwork and is way beyond doing anything else. She has to read a really hard book and then do maths, english, spelling and writing and then she has to do art. It is really stessfull for all of us. It's just too much for a kid of her age !!!!!!!

ashna9
  • 16th Jul 2007 04:03pm

I am actually a teacher and I often feel that we give children too much homework. ideally homework should be for consolidation and have some point to it, not just for the sake of doing more work at home.

Anonymous
  • 16th Jul 2007 01:45pm

I have a large family with children in grade 3, 5,and 6, one at home and one on the way and a sick mother to care for. I hate my kids doing homework. As a large family we all try to get in and help around the house during the week as well as spending family time together but when you throw homework into the fray it leaves no time for us to be a family, the kids dad also works long days 6 days a week and only has an hour at nights to spend with our boys so if we are running behind or something comes up he doesn't get any time with them. I'd like to see homework abolished.....some reading time at home although is a good idea and my kids use that as wind down time for themselves so they enjoy it. My kids don't get home until 4.30 as it is because we live outside of town and they catch a bus so sometimes homework is left undone and then they get into trouble from their teachers and made to stay in a lunch time which I think is unfair and that's a public school.

mummee5
  • 16th Jul 2007 01:43pm

Moved to WA a couple of years ago. The kids get very little homework overhere. I feel its too little. They are at private schools. My 8year old is lucky to do 5-10mins a night. My older son is in his first year of highschool and occassionaly has a little bit of homework.

Anonymous
  • 16th Jul 2007 12:25pm

My daughter is 6 and in year 1 at a public school. I think homework at this age is not acceptable. I think that my daughter should be able to come home from school and play outside rather than be forced to sit down and do more work after she has just come home from 6 hours of structured school work.

sublime
  • 16th Jul 2007 12:11pm

As a mother of a 15 yr old and an 18 yr old girl I have mixed thoughts on the homework issue. I think some homework is essential to helping children understand that there are timeframes to be adhered to and set work to be done. Afterall, when they go onto university they will have to be their own masters and ensure that work is handed in on time and if they havent had the experience of doing that then how will they cope. On the other hand I have just managed to get my 18 year old through high school with some very stressful times throughout Year 10, 11 and 12. The homework schedule was intense and didnt allow for the fact that teenagers work part time jobs. In the end my daughter had to drop out of her dance classes after school as she couldnt manage work, sport and homework. There seems to be no communication by the teachers as to the level of homework being set for the same time periods and often this was the cause of a lot of problems with major assignments being due at the same time. I'm not sure how to fix the problem but I feel it does need to be looked at.

Anonymous
  • 15th Jul 2007 06:37pm

Hi, i am not a mother but as a student at a public high school i felt my opinion on the homework situtation might be helpful for you. I am in year 11 currently and I dont spend alot of time on homework. However my teachers do set alot of homework to be done. I just get as much of it done in the class time provided and in my private studies to allow me more time after school for extra activities and study. There is quite alot of homework set for year 11's and even my younger sister who is in year 8 recieves a fair amount of homework, but like i said i try to get as much done at school as i possibly can. I am 16 years old turning 17 in November and i go to a public school.

bunnyboo309
  • 14th Jul 2007 06:57pm

I havnt got any children but my friend dose, they are rude and not doing there homework. They are out of control.
they are both 12 and go to private schools and they are close to being expelled, they need more home work and punishments!

Sarah16
  • 12th Jul 2007 03:24pm

I am a 16 year old student who is doing her VCE a year ahead of what she should be.
At my primary school, I never once had a piece of homework and when I got to secondary school the schock of doing homework hit me because it was sucha big adjustment.
I was one of the only students in my class that actually did any homework and because I choose to take my education into my own hands, I mean we only gwt one chance at things, I was just ridiculed because I wanted to do well with my studies.
This treatment by me peers turned me off doing my homework and wanting to succeed at school.
I have now passed this and I see it as they can make their own choices as I have made mine.
I do although feel that as students we are given too much homework. The system wants healthy students but how can we be healthy if we are spending three hours a night doing homework along with adn hour bus travel; or if you choose to do sport during class you have homework as you need to catch up.
Therefore, homework should be limited only to being a ncessity.

TimsGirl
  • 12th Jul 2007 02:56am

my daughter is in year 1 and gets the stupidest homework. I have two university degrees and some of it stumps me ie things like draw ten objects that begin with that week's focus letter. my daughter learns nothing and it drives us both insane.

it also seems far too basic. when I was in year 1, I had homework, a lot lot more homework, actually. but it was useful stuff and it was interesting and I enjoyed it. whereas my daughter and I hate her homework.

I think though the difference is, I went to a private primary school and the standard of learning was far higher.

When I went on to a public high school, I was at least two years ahead of the other students with what I had learnt (and four years ahead in LOTE, German specifically). It was no wonder I went on to top our year level of 150 students. In a private school, I would have probably only graduated around 4th or 5th or something.

I personally think homework has it's place. But it has to be USEFUL.

And I also think it's would be extremely helpful to have different levels of homework. for example, in high school I'd finish off what was supposed to be hours of homework simply by doing it in another class after I'd finished that class's work as I was blessed with being able to work fast. My poor sister on the other hand seems to have some sort of dyslexia and even though she's very smart, what should only take one hour, can take many hours for her. to the point where she nearly failed out of year 12 because she couldn't keep up with her homework as she'd still be going into the early hours of the morning trying to do it.

in fact, both my little brother and sister I think at times genuinely felt suicidal from the sheer enormity of their homework. they are extremely bright kids, high IQs, but their learning difficulties made the type of homework they were given impossible to keep up with.

Some kids need the stimulation of homework, others need it but far less of it so they can actually complete it.

it probably takes us about half an hour to do my daughter's homework, but it would probably only take us about five minutes if it didn't involve drawing which she struggles with as she hasf low muscle tone making drawing in particular a big effort.

again, it comes down to I really think homework needs to be tailored to certain student groups like those with medical or learning difficulties

Anonymous
  • 11th Jul 2007 08:45pm

My daughter is in year 9 and does between 2.5 - 3 hrs a night. It is way too much. She is in a private school. The teachers and students were given a homework timetable but some teachers ignore it and continue to overload the kids. She takes her studies seriously and i have to push her at times to stop. My son on the otherhand needs to be pushed to revise his maths everyday. If i'm not on his back to reexplain what he has learnt it doesn't sink in. He's in Year 7 and he needs to discipline himself to make the time to study properly. There has to be ahappy medium where the kids do revise but are not pressured.

Anonymous
  • 11th Jul 2007 06:46pm

I have 6 year old twins who are at publc school they have about a two half hour periods the first at 3.30 after there half an hour tv time an wind down after school then another half our at 4.30 for my partner and I that works well giving them a break in between as we have found our girls get ants in there pants if they have to sit for long time with their homework.

jaime23
  • 11th Jul 2007 06:37pm

hello

Anonymous
  • 11th Jul 2007 06:30pm

Carissa
Cairns

I agree, my daughter has justed started highschool here in Cairns, QLD and i think they have way to much homework. My daughter is 14 and should not have to stress about assignments and homework expecially in year 8. This is a public school my daughter attends.

visualowl
  • 11th Jul 2007 06:12pm

Miss 10 does her homework either straight after tea at night. She automatically goes and does it as we have set that time just for that. She gets her homework sheet(s) on Monday and it goes back on Friday. She has a list of 15 spelling words to write down each night plus a sheet with maths, comprehension, spelling etc on it to work through. We go to a public school. Each night takes around 30 - 60 minutes of her time and she doesn't complain!

babylocks
  • 11th Jul 2007 04:23pm

I have a 6 yo son in Kinder who has a mile of homework whether being reading, list words etc. When is he supposed to be a child?
11 yo son hates homework tries to get out of it all the time. Hates reading but loves maths. Has a lot of homework as he needs to catch up with what he hasn't completed at school. I agree that they do need to do some homework but when are they to be kids. They do have other chores to do as well.
16yo daughter in Year 10. Far too much homework. She works out what needs to be completed first whether it be an assignment or task & does it first, a very studious child. Excels. We have told her only to do what is important.
All three are in private schools

Darrin
  • 11th Jul 2007 03:47pm

I never did homework at school and did well until the HSC and struggled becasue I wasn't used to having to study.

I think regular homework is a good habit for kids of all ages to get into. The majority of jobs require them to have the same sort of discipline and it is a good lead into working life.

Although, I am a big believer in balance. My son normally does 2 sports and needs to balance weekly training with homework as well as having time for socialising and spending time as a family.

liza
  • 3rd Jul 2007 02:29pm

I have 2 school age kids my teenager gets less homework than my son in year 3, my daughter does most of her home work at school ,leaving time for assessment tasks at home,she is in year 8 of a country public high school and is one of the top students in her class. My son is in year 3 & gets quiet a lot of home work for a kid so young the school says it is to prep student for high school but how can that be when his sister gets less homework set than him.He is a good student as well but there are days it takes him more than a hour to get his work done.

gemini69
  • 1st Jul 2007 01:41pm

I have 5 children ages 16yrs to 4mths, I used to think homework was important but not so much anymore, if the teachers want the kids to do homework the government should make an extra hour of school. (The kids even said they would rather stay at school and extra half hour then do homework) The kids want to do their own thing after school, and relax, they just don't do it, and I dont have the time or patience to help them, and even if I did, its just to stressful who wants to do more school work when they are at school 5 days a week and dont get home from school till nearly 4.30pm (catching buses). My mother used to push me to do my homework, and I ended up resenting anything to do with study.

Alicia
  • 29th Jun 2007 04:10pm

I have mixed thoughts on homework. Yes, it is there for the child to revise etc, but when a child is only in the first few years of school, is there really a need for it. A child needs time to BE a child, not be pressured into getting things rights all the time, with the possibility of being teased for not being smart by their fellow pupils. I worked as a nanny for a 6 year old and a two year old. The six year old wanted nothing more than to relax and have fun when she got hime, not have to worry about getting home work done, especially when her younger borther was able to do so. In grades 6 and 7 is when home work should be introduced. Before that, it could maybe be set as "if you want to homework."

In todays sociaty, we are placing more and more pressure on our children, which will only get worse as university places are limited, the wage is low and living expenses rise. Give children a break - they will have enough worries as the years go by.

I am a new parent, and when the time comes for him to start school, I will try to give my son as much flexibility as I can, without having his teacher on his back.

Anonymous
  • 27th Jun 2007 06:01pm

I do not have children of my own, but am a secondary teacher. I find that when I give out homework it is often not completed by students, or only the bare minimum is done. I know that sometimes homework can cause a lot of stress in a household, and I really don't think that it is worth it, from an educational point of view. If I had to set homework every week (i.e. set on a Monday to be due on Friday like other parents have said) I would really have to question the educational value of that work, at high school level. (Note: At primary school level I do think it is necessary to do a LITTLE BIT each night to learn basic maths facts and reading). It takes so much time to find (or make) suitable homework sheets, check which students have completed it & reward them for doing so, check with students havent done it and give them a consequence, then finally mark the work and reteach the parts they found difficult. This takes as much class time, and more of my own time, than actually teaching that work in class and completing it all in class. I also find it quite frustrating that often one of the main reasons that teachers give homework is because parents expect it, and they judge the quality of the school on how much homework is given. Finally - did you know - there was a principal of a high school in Scotland who made it the school policy that no homework would be given, unless it was to catch up from work that should have been completed within the class. The marks within that school went up by 20%!

Robyn
  • 27th Jun 2007 04:44pm

I am studying to be a high school teacher and just completed my first practicum. I was shocked at how little kids did today and how little respect they have for their own work. Assigned homework is seldom completed in high school ( I was at a public high school). Even with their assignments, only 15% of students completed them on time. Some were up to 4 weeks late! But because there are no penalities for handing in the work late, they don't stress about completing their work on time. Why would they? This attitude won't be tolerated in the workplace, but when you try to explain it to them they either don't understand or don't care. All they can see is the world right in front of them. Just 10 years ago when I was in high school I remember flunking 2 assignments in English because they were a week late. And I almost failed a uni assignment because it was 10 mins late! Students today need to assume more responsibility for their own work. And this starts with completing ALL assigned work ON TIME!!!

maryanne
  • 21st Jun 2007 09:45am

My little one isn't at school yet and doesn't have any homework, but as a primary school teacher I think I can comment. The majority of childrens learning should happen at school but a minimal, and I mean minimal amount of homework is required to reinforce concepts taught at school, particularly maths as the child gets older. The most important thing that parents and teachers should be encouraging in the line of homework is reading, there is not enough time at school for students to do the amount of reading required for them to become proficient. That said, a lot of homework set by teachers particularly in the early years is because some parents expect it and complain if it doesn't go home.

eviee1
  • 16th Jun 2007 10:24pm

I think school time is for studying, teachers are there in those hours so that's when all school work should be done, That's what schooling is about. Home time is Home time

Rick
  • 15th Jun 2007 11:50am

well i know that i hardly ever do my hoework but i do all of the asignments coz they are worth alot of your marks but i think homework is worth like not even 10% so i dont rlly do it but when i was in high school i recoment doing it but usually about 1 hr a week would cut it for me to do it but i could have used more time

VivK
  • 19th Dec 2010 01:48pm
well i know that i hardly ever do my hoework but i do all of the asignments coz they are worth alot of your marks but i think homework is worth like not even 10% so i dont rlly do it but when i was...

Oh dear Rick, it is obvious by your comment that you didnt do any English homework! LOL

mbrbbts
  • 14th Jun 2007 05:15pm

Hi, we have 5 children, 3 at school, aged 9, 10, 11. They each get homework on Monday night set for the week to be handed in to school on Fridays. I ensure by reminders that it is completed, and I also have a quick look at it and help test spelling words but the children set their own pace to complete their homework. In general the oldest does his all in 1 night so he is allowed to go out with friends etc. The 10 year old drags the chain a bit and the nine year old is generally pretty good. I think they need to be learning responsibility to complete their tasks as I'm sure once in high school they need to learn to be self-dependent for study, etc. I have to say I can really see the difference in spelling from the beginning of the week to Friday just before their testing and this isn't hard to achieve, while I'm in the kitchen preparing dinner it only takes a few minutes to test them on their spelling words and it makes a huge difference, and generally they feel a sense of achievement too and seem to remember the spelling of the words.

Bereft Skerrick
  • 14th Jun 2007 03:18pm

It's sad. We live in a "what's the quickest way to get something done with the least amount of effort" society. Mr Almost 6 has his sheet of homework for Grade 1 every week, which is tasks usually about 7 or 8 words. But he does extra work at his own choosing - he loves reading and loves doing extra homework, which we make up as we go along, or I get from the internet. He's developing a good habit at an early age, and it's these habits that will help him have the discipline to achieve what he wants to when in his later years of study. Sure we send him to school to be educated, but education doesn't stop once his class ends for the day. Other countries have developed cultures where education is important, why can't we? Who are going to be the doctors, lawyers etc who we're going to need when we're all old and silly? The ones who work hard at school and do the extra work to get themselves ahead. Or would you prefer your kids to be just good enough?

GR8kidsX3
  • 13th Jun 2007 09:10pm

Hi, We have three children - a twelve year old girl (nearly thirteen as she keeps reminding me), a 10 year old boy and a 6 1/2 year old girl. I have found that 15 minutes when they are younger is more than enough. this gives them enough time to do their reader and go over their 'sight words" and maybe some "look, say, cover, write, check" work. As the kids have become older (mainly miss 12) I have found that I am giving her the option to work out how much time she needs to spend to get her weeks worth of homework done. In the older grades I am finding more teachers are setting out a list of things at the start of the week that need to be finished by the end of the week and it gives the kids practice at working out how to be effieient and allocate thier time effectively. I do how ever have to keep an eye that she is getting the weeks worth of home work completed and I have worked out she is roughly doing around 1/2 hour per night - which in year 7 is fine. All my kids have sport after school and this is very important. Some of the sport practices are later in the evening after 530pm and considering we do not get home from work until 5pm it is impossible for the kids to complete their home work on these nights. Therefore on Thursday's they do not have to do home work as I spoke to their teachers about this and they were more happy for them to being doing sport/activity rather than homework. I just get them to quickly read for 5mins each on the Friday morning before they head off to school.
I am sure with the change to high school next year, Miss 13 (by then) will have a noticable increase in her homework load, but we will have a strict rule of no more than an hour per night - Kids do have to have fun as well! PUBLIC AND PROUD!!

Megan
  • 12th Jun 2007 11:24am

I also have a 6 year old daughter in kindergarten. She brings home a homework book each Monday with one to two sheets to have completed by Friday. At the moment it is pretty basic and she usually has her homework finished by Wednesday and in about 15 minutes. Although she does look forward to doing it, I know that this will be short lived. I don't have a problem with homework at the moment but know when she gets older it will become more of a hassle.

Elizabeth
  • 11th Jun 2007 04:06pm

My daughter is in year 1 (her age is 6) and quite enjoys going to her public school, and she is excited to come home to do homework. She gets it on Monday and has till Friday morning to complete it. She generally completes it on the Monday afternoon after having a glass of milk and a snack. Homework takes her about half an hour at most. Then has only spelling words to do each afternoon as well as a home reader. This gives her plenty of time to do afternoon activities like swimming on Tuesday and Ballet on Thursday, which leaves Wednesday and Friday as her play dates with friends or playing outside at home. She sometimes does her spelling in the morning which leaves her afternoon free. At the moment it is enough homework for her.

juey
  • 11th Jun 2007 02:34pm

Ban traditional Homework! At least in Primary school anyway. I don't think it benefits kids to sit down all day at achool and then come home to do more sitting and 'learning'. After school is best left for activities which will aid kids' social and emotional development or are 'interests'. Prescribed homework may not be something a child is intersted in and will not give them a proper appreciation of work / life balance. When they get older they need to be able to leave work at work and have a life outsife of work. And so much time (recalling from my own experience at school) at school is essentially just wasting time (teachers trying to maintain discipline or dealing with problem students) rather then giving students an appropriate and useful education that relates to the student's own learning style and interests.
Schools should be aiming to assist a child's development into a balanced, confident, emotionally mature, resilient and adaptable individual. Does homework promote this or just promote knowledge aquisition?.

Nephthys65
  • 11th Jun 2007 09:27am

I think there is a lot of pressure on kids these days and while I think self directed study or assignments are important, there is too much given to the kids, so they struggle to get a balance between school, home, work and building a social life.

evlspcmk
  • 10th Jun 2007 06:30pm

hey during my final years at school i never opened any of my book out side of a classroom the teachers gave up towards the end trying to enforce us they figured its our loss if we dont do it. I much prefered it that way giving us a choice wether we do it or not. with all that i still managed to do allright in my HSC just proves to my point that home work is useless

Anonymous
  • 12th Apr 2011 07:08am
hey during my final years at school i never opened any of my book out side of a classroom the teachers gave up towards the end trying to enforce us they figured its our loss if we dont do it. I...

it all depends on how focused you are in class thoe

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