The notion of younger children doing homework is under attack. New research
suggests that homework for younger children does not really provide any benefit
and teachers only give it because parents want it. Professor Richard Walker of
Sydney University said that elementary (primary) school children do hours of
homework every week but it has minimal, if any, effect on their test grades or
level. He said the situation was little better for junior high school kids. He
suggested: “I don't think anyone except senior high school students should be
doing a couple of hours of homework.” Dr Walker said: “A little bit of homework
is probably OK at all ages, if part of the reason is to help kids become
self-directed learners.”
The study from Sydney University comes days after calls by parents in France
to boycott homework and read a book instead. Jean-Jacques Hazan of the French
Parents Association said: “If the child hasn't succeeded in doing the exercise
at school, I don't see how they're going to succeed at home.” He added that
schools were pushing the responsibility of teaching onto parents, which causes
family friction. “We're asking parents to do the work that should be done in
lessons,” he said. A teaching spokeswoman agreed, saying: “Not all families have
the time or the necessary knowledge to help their offspring.” French primary
schools still give homework despite a five-decade-long ban on it. (Breaking News English)
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