UK Teachers: Ban Homework For Kids Under 11

[udontno]

(Newser) – A British teachers’ group thinks homework for children under 11 is a waste of time for all involved, the Telegraph reports. It can “damage parents and children's relationships when trying to get it all done, and ends in tears all round,” the Association of Teachers and Lecturers said. And homework can be seriously detrimental. “At this stage in their lives homework mitigates against children who already have difficulties,” such as single parent homes or disability.

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Having a younger sister who struggled, I can see their reasoning behind this. I've seen the fights that homework has caused between Jenna and my mother. It was impossible for her to do it alone, either. However, I think that the good could possibly out weigh the bad. You aren't going to be able to reinforce things like spelling without practice outside of the classroom. Review of the material each night is essential and will be practical for use in higher levels of education. You need to set the patterns while the person is young. I do think that kids should have homework, but it should be limited. It's hard though, because sometimes I don't understand my younger sister's math homework and I'm taking honors level of math. It's not concepts that I use daily, so I don't remember. I can only imagine what it is like for parents that do not use math on a daily basis at all. This is a blue collar area and I know a lot of people that can barely add in their heads.

[Hyper Sonic]

I think only basic homework should be set like mental maths or spelling and grammar. You need the basics

[Blackwing]

In america when do we do homework

[Double X]

Eh, I think we should have 2 more hours of school a day and no worksheets or dumb homework. important ones like projects, essays, basic studying we should have, but the others are useless.

[udontno]

Originally Posted by Double X

Eh, I think we should have 2 more hours of school a day and no worksheets or dumb homework. important ones like projects, essays, basic studying we should have, but the others are useless.

How many hours do you spend in school everyday now? I think seven hours is enough, spending two more hours in there wouldn't even give me day light hours after school.

[Hyper Sonic]

Originally Posted by udontno

How many hours do you spend in school everyday now? I think seven hours is enough, spending two more hours in there wouldn't even give me day light hours after school.

We spend from 9am - 3:30pm including a typically 30minute lunch and 2x15min breaks or thereabouts. I'd prefer the idea of more homework as more school hours would push children to their teacher if there is a problem rather than their parents

[Heretic]

Studies have shown that homework does little to increase understanding and comprehension outside the classroom. I personally view homework as a waste of time. Studying, essays, and projects have relevance, but beyond that, it's just useless.

[Blackwing]

9:00-3:30 in uk? Wow We had to be in school 7:55 A.m-3:00pm

[udontno]

Originally Posted by EDGE

9:00-3:30 in uk? Wow We had to be in school 7:55 A.m-3:00pm

I start school at 8:05 and stay to 3:15. Our classes are about 90 minutes long and I attend four daily. Lunch is about 25 minutes long. There are five minutes in between classes. We really don't get a lot of breaks.

[InSovietRussiaORGASMGotU]

Oh come on. Homework, as much as people may hate doing it, it does benefit. You apply and practice the knowledge at home so you can learn more. If the student struggles, then that's too bad. Either, they get a tutor, help from friend/teacher/parent/guardian, struggle and probably fail, or they move to a lower grade or special school that is more suited for their needs. If the school time is, say from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm, you don't have only 1 class and you have breaks. Outside of that time including weekends, is a perfect place to better learn the material. It reinforces the learning, so either you do the work in class and of course you don't learn as many new concepts, or you do the work at home/outside class and you learn new concepts in class. The second option seems much better to me.

As for this crying over homework making kids' lives ever so harder, so does everything else in this world. However, with more technological advances, things have become easier. You have a computer, you have a calculator, Internet, etc... . Having to do a bit of thinking and some hard work is good, it stimulates your mind.

If this happens, then I'm sure that banning homework for kids, say 15 and under wouldn't be too far in the future.

[star_crossd]

I think they should ban homework for EVERYONE
Eh, I think sometimes it can be beneficial but for the most part, its a waste of time. I have responsibilities at home and by the time i get to hw, Im just like blah. I actually think hw for younger kids is important, reinforcing the most important basics and whatnot.

[InSovietRussiaORGASMGotU]

Originally Posted by star_crossd

I think they should ban homework for EVERYONE
Eh, I think sometimes it can be beneficial but for the most part, its a waste of time. I have responsibilities at home and by the time i get to hw, Im just like blah. I actually think hw for younger kids is important, reinforcing the most important basics and whatnot.

So, they should ban homework, it's a waste of time but it's important, reinforcing and possibly beneficial? I smell a contradiction.

[Jack]

How come everyone else's schools started so late and ended so early? Mine was 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. everyday from when I was 6 until I was 16. And that was two different schools.

Meh I say ban homework utterly. It never benefitted me at all, at any stage. The only type of homework that should be set is coursework and projects, and even those are pointless at anything below A level due to the high levels of cheating and plagiarism.

[Double X]

7:30 to 2:03...it's really a drag to get up at 5:50am to catch the bus.

[Lozzaa]

I dont think it should be banned, they're going to have to do homework somewhere in their school life, so they might as well get used to it younger. However they should maybe get less. Small pieces of homework and build them up, as long as it seems relevant.

[Bibliophile]

I'm not really a good example anyway, I don't see the point in homework as long as you're getting the grades.
No homework!

[Dasha]

I personally loved doing homework as a kid. Sometimes it was as simple as getting my mom to sign my daily journal, or full out worksheet.
I think it may get kids used to homework so there are no problems forgetting when they get older.

*edit* As a side note, there are really to many kids crowding the classrooms as it is, its hard to know if they are able to learn anything, or if they are just playing around. If they have homework, its easier to tell if they are on pace, and also making sure they pay attention in class so they know what to do for homework.

[udontno]

Originally Posted by Jack

How come everyone else's schools started so late and ended so early? Mine was 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. everyday from when I was 6 until I was 16. And that was two different schools.

Meh I say ban homework utterly. It never benefitted me at all, at any stage. The only type of homework that should be set is coursework and projects, and even those are pointless at anything below A level due to the high levels of cheating and plagiarism.

I think it probably has to do with you being in the UK.

[Deep Brown Eyes]

Originally Posted by Jack

Meh I say ban homework utterly. It never benefited me at all, at any stage. The only type of homework that should be set is coursework and projects[...]

Seconded. I never did the homework unless I could see justification for it, such as it being directly related to my final grade, which was practically never. The essays and projects though, I did every single time, and because I wasn't wasting time on pointless homework, I had more time to dedicate to those important assignments and aced it.

[Hyper Sonic]

Originally Posted by udontno

I think it probably has to do with you being in the UK.

I think we should have a say in it. We are the ones that have to do it.

Your say shouldn't count though - most children do not think of the future benefits of an education including homework but rather of the present. If you were to give students a plebiscite on whether to cut an hour from the school day or not the majority would vote in favour.

Feedback is important but such a major change does not

[Deep Brown Eyes]

Originally Posted by Hyper Sonic

Your say shouldn't count though - most children do not think of the future benefits of an education including homework but rather of the present. If you were to give students a plebiscite on whether to cut an hour from the school day or not the majority would vote in favour.

Feedback is important but such a major change does not

Your example is somewhat misleading. Cutting an hour from the school day is to reduce the time that the students are in a controlled environment being taught, which would make an obvious impact to what, and how much, the students learn.

Homework, on the other hand, is just a matter of testing the students, not teaching. Arbiter mentioned a few studies that suggest that homework " does little to increase understanding and comprehension outside the classroom". And from personal experience, not doing my homework never held me back.

[Gidig]

Let me give you an example of what me and all my straight-A friends were doing earlier today. We quickly grabbed one person who had actually done they're homework, and we quick copied like madmen before the teacher came in. =)
It's all just work, mostly busywork around here, not sure if it's the same in other areas. My brother had tons of trouble because he wouldn't do his homework.

Though I do believe it helps you realize you have responsibilities and gives a little insight to that. I think that kids can start learning that at 12.
I'd also like to point out, that I would love to go to school at 8:30/9:00
I leave for school at 7:15, it starts at 7:45 and goes till 2:45, which isn't too bad time-wise, but I think it's idiotic that we have 90 minute classes since it's proven that teenagers don't have that long of an attention span...

[molliegym]

Homework shouldn't be banned. It IS useful. I've always taken honors math (I'm taking AP Calculus BC this year), and I almost always do my homework- even the stupid worksheets. I've had almost straight As in math, and when I don't, it's because I haven't done the homework. Same for English, science, and history.

I rarely spent more than an hour or two on homework before I got to high school. It didn't kill me. In 8th grade, I sometimes had 3 hours of homework in one night. I didn't die because I couldn't watch American Idol every week.

[thebigmole]

Well I stopped doing my basic homework at around the fifth grade. Unless it was a big project or a paper I did it at school. It was bad, had some close calls. However before that I always did my homework, I don't remember getting into arguments with my parents, I'd do the work myself, they'd check it, as I got older they stopped checking, but I was still bringing home A's so they didn't really care. So I don't really know what to think of homework. I think the reasons given are bogus though.

[InSovietRussiaORGASMGotU]

Originally Posted by thebigmole

I think the reasons given are bogus though.

So, you think the idea that repeating something can make it better ingrained in your memory is bogus? Psychological and neuropsychological research would throw several books of evidence at you showing it is not bogus.

[thebigmole]

Originally Posted by YourNightmare

So, you think the idea that repeating something can make it better ingrained in your memory is bogus? Psychological and neuropsychological research would throw several books of evidence at you showing it is not bogus.

Oh no I'm sorry you misunderstood. I meant the reasons given against homework are bogus.

[Xujhan]

Nightmare: I'm not sure if you noticed, but the OP and the quoted studies aren't talking about completely removing homework; only removing it for the younger grades. I can see a lot of wisdom in that. You really don't learn much in the first few grades besides basic language and arithmetic skills, and I can well believe that the hours of homework that young children, say ages 5-10, put in doesn't significantly improve their understanding. What's more important in those early years is the mentality and curiosity that develop. If you can get a child interested in learning, it wouldn't matter if you taught them nothing but juggling for those first five years, they'd still end up a well-educated person by adulthood; and they'd be a great juggler to boot.

[Kate]

im studying to be a primary school teacher now - which means all of my students will be 12 and under. There are a couple of reasons why homework should be given to students of this age.

1)Students can not go into high school with no prior knowledge to homework and the concept of self discipline and learning which comes with homework.

2)You may not realise this, but it is fundamentally important that learning occurs both at home as well as at school. Parents and Teachers need a good professional relationship as teaching children is a collaborative effort.

3) some children work better in their home environment. therefore they'd get their homework done more efficiently than if they tried to do the same work at school. Plus, they may actually learn what they are doing.

4) Have you seen what we have to teach kids these days?? There is so much we have to cover in 1 academic year. Take out time for assemblys, sports and the rest of that, there isn't always enough time. Therefore, sometimes, work has to be done at home.

i think i have made my point clear. I do strongly believe children under the age of 11 need homework.

[noise94]

I struggled a hell of a lot with homework when I was very young. I can still remember the fights my mother and I had every night over trying to get me to do it. I ended up with a very negative attitude towards all things school related. I was fine once I went into secondary school though. I think banning it for younger kids would be very wise.

[InSovietRussiaORGASMGotU]

Originally Posted by Xujhan

Nightmare: I'm not sure if you noticed, but the OP and the quoted studies aren't talking about completely removing homework; only removing it for the younger grades. I can see a lot of wisdom in that. You really don't learn much in the first few grades besides basic language and arithmetic skills, and I can well believe that the hours of homework that young children, say ages 5-10, put in doesn't significantly improve their understanding. What's more important in those early years is the mentality and curiosity that develop. If you can get a child interested in learning, it wouldn't matter if you taught them nothing but juggling for those first five years, they'd still end up a well-educated person by adulthood; and they'd be a great juggler to boot.

Yes, if you read my post, you'd have noticed that. I said, if they do ban the homework for the kids under 11, then whose to say it won't be considered for older students? I mean, it could be argued that it's not entirely fair and that since it exists already, why not extend it to a few more grades? Seems very likely to me.

It may be only basic skills, however, it develops basic study habits. If they go from the last year of no homework to first year of homework, it's going to be a sudden leap to something they're not used to. I'd say a good amount of students will struggle with this sudden change, so more may be considered stupider than they actually are. Then as they progress through high school, as the homework load increases, it's still relatively new to them. They may still learn and be very good, however, the reason for banning the homework, at least in the OP's article thing was the mother saying how much the kid struggles. If homework is so new, then the students will struggle and parents will bitch, "look, look, they're struggling, we must ease up the work" when in reality, they're just not used to it but with practice, they will be and will be very proficent. But, with banning it, this needed practice isn't there.

This reason for banning was partially that homework was too hard, so banning it earlier then slamming it in their faces later is going to do the same thing. So, this isn't solving any problems, it's just delaying them. Also, what if the kid is decent when under 11 but without work, it wouldn't be too noticable until later that they may be struggling a lot more than initially suspected.

[Double X]

I didn't do homework from 1-3 grade because I was in Montessori program. Me and my friends mostly get A's and we cheat off each other every morning.

I think getting rid of worksheets trivial stuff is fine as long as you keep your mind active reading or something.

[losing touch.]

To be honest i never really did any homework when i was younger even if it was set. No one seemed to care, so no one did it. I don't see the need for homework for primary school children anyways. sure, give them spellings and times tables, but that's hardly very taxing.

[Kate]

guys, you are just looking at yourselves. we are only about 10 opinions in the world (i didnt count, just guessed that) and most of you are just talking about yourselves "i didn't do homework" or "i copied off my mate" but seriously, none of us are in primary school (i think if ive done my maths right). So really, your not answering the question. And the question isn't about you in particular. It is about the whole population of children in brittain under the age of 11.

[Gidig]

Originally Posted by Kate

guys, you are just looking at yourselves. we are only about 10 opinions in the world (i didnt count, just guessed that) and most of you are just talking about yourselves "i didn't do homework" or "i copied off my mate" but seriously, none of us are in primary school (i think if ive done my maths right). So really, your not answering the question. And the question isn't about you in particular. It is about the whole population of children in brittain under the age of 11.

While we're not in primary school now, most of us once were. We also witness other primary school children. And we know how we were, so we can estimate how others are. Especially if we all had nearly the same opinion.

There also isn't really a question? And if there is, we're answering it by speaking our experiences. You learn from others experiences, it's how life works.

[ScottishFriction]

Homework for under 11's should continue. It's good to get into the practice of homework when you are young. In my opinion, suddenly starting giving homework at age 12 would make school much harder for teenagers when it comes to more advanced homework and revision for exams.

Keep the homework I say. Having a fight with your kid about getting them to do their homework doesn't do any lasting damage, and it really woul dmake all the difference in the future.

And for the record, my school started at 8.55am and finished at 3.30 or 3.35 depending on which floor you were on. 15 mins for playtime and 50 mins for lunch.

[Kate]

Originally Posted by Gidig

While we're not in primary school now, most of us once were. We also witness other primary school children. And we know how we were, so we can estimate how others are. Especially if we all had nearly the same opinion.

There also isn't really a question? And if there is, we're answering it by speaking our experiences. You learn from others experiences, it's how life works.

But your all focused on your own opinions rather than the ones in the article. Yes, maybe homework didnt always work for you but does that mean that ALL homework should be banned from ALL children?? Hell to the no!

[InSovietRussiaORGASMGotU]

Originally Posted by Kate

guys, you are just looking at yourselves. we are only about 10 opinions in the world (i didnt count, just guessed that) and most of you are just talking about yourselves "i didn't do homework" or "i copied off my mate" but seriously, none of us are in primary school (i think if ive done my maths right). So really, your not answering the question. And the question isn't about you in particular. It is about the whole population of children in brittain under the age of 11.

I suggest you re-read just about all the responses on here. Most of them, if not all, have answered the question.

This thread is based mostly on one's opinion, which is heavily based on one's experiences. Just for the record, this is a teen forum. Most of the users aren't going to look up research articles then give you a nice detailed objective answer.

But what I find interesting is your answer. You're not in primary school, you want to be a teacher, however, you're not a teacher yet. So, since you're not in primary school, what exactly makes your answer any different from the answers other people gave?

[asphyxiated]

I dont think homework should be banned, but I do believe that teachers shouldn't try to pressure students as much as they have been. Encourage us, yes, but dont shove a textbook down my throat.

[Grizabella]

From what I've seen tutoring, homework is more beneficial for elementary students than it is for teens. With the youngest students, we're reinforcing the most basic concepts, like counting, adding, subtracting, reading etc. That only gets better through practice, no way around it, and eventually in life, you need to know how to count and add. But with the older kids I tutor, the teachers shove a ton of homework at them, they rotely copy answers from the textbook, and memorize information only long enough to pass a test. I teach grade 12 kids vectors, they do their test, and then 2 weeks later none of them remember how to find the equation of a plane. Because they can't see why it's important, and have no reason to retain such knowledge.

[Care-o-Bear]

Originally Posted by Deedlit

Homework for under 11's should continue. It's good to get into the practice of homework when you are young. In my opinion, suddenly starting giving homework at age 12 would make school much harder for teenagers when it comes to more advanced homework and revision for exams.

I agree! I don't think there is much benefit to homework. I think there should be less. However, I say don't eliminate it completely. These kids will be used to not doing homework then all the sudden they have to. That'd be way too hard on them and be too sudden. My opinion is that we lessen the amount of homework in higher grades and gradually ease the younger ones into that amount.