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President of Ireland calls on schools to stop giving pupils homework
Children should be able to use time at home ‘for other creative things’, says michael d higgins, article bookmarked.
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Schools should strive not to give pupils homework where possible, the president of Ireland has suggested.
In an utterance likely to be seized upon by children for years to come, in classrooms far beyond the shores of the Emerald Isle, Michael D Higgins argued that school should not extend beyond the final bell.
“Time in school … should get finished in school,” the president told pupils at a school in County Tipperary this week during a broadcast for RTE.
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The President Of Ireland Wants To Get Rid Of Homework & Honestly, He's Onto Something
“The time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school.”
Do you know who doesn’t like homework? Kids — and certain presidents. In an impassioned plea to the people of his nation, President Michael D. Higgins has called for a ban on homework across Ireland. And if small children were given the right to vote tomorrow, I feel fairly certain I know whose name they would be supporting on the ballot.
Higgins, who is himself a former Arts Minister of Ireland and therefore, in my opinion, knows a little about the subject, spoke to Ireland’s news program for kids RTE’s news2day at St. Kevin’s School in Tipperary about a number of subjects. What he wanted to be when he was a kid himself. What was his favorite sport in school, which he said was handball. When did he decide he wanted to be president. And then, the mutual bane of their existence — homework.
“I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things,” Higgins told his interviewers, four children hanging on his every word.
While it remains unclear if Higgins has begun any official paperwork to ban homework, which would ironically be homework for him, his sentiment resonated with his many fans. Children and social media users alike in fact. One person tweeted their appreciation of the fact that Higgins was “running his nation like the little Hobbit he is.”
Another social media user wondered if Higgins was really a “forest sprite.”
This social media user found the idea inspiring , writing, “We need a national conversation on how to bring more play, creativity, imagination, movement and positive experiences into our children’s lives. Banning homework would be a great first step.”
Higgins ended his interview with a message to children about the importance of fostering their friendships and telling them to “stay curious about everything and I think it’s important to make sure you don’t miss the joy of sharing information. And I think an important thing is friendship and to make sure that there’s no one left without friendship and that people belong. And we will all do individual things... but I think friendships that you make will in fact always be great memories and that is so important.”
I think he’s on to something.
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When Homework Was Banned
Published: November 3, 2023
In the early 1900s, Ladies' Home Journal took up a crusade against homework, enlisting doctors and parents who say it damages children's health. In 1901 California passed a law abolishing homework!
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President Michael D Higgins says homework should be banned in Ireland
The country’s favourite leader believes that school activities should end at the school gate and students should be encouraged to engage in more creative pursuits
- 10:39, 21 JAN 2023
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President Michael D Higgins has called for homework to be banned.
The country’s favourite leader has given hope to a new generation of students that the bane of their afterschool evenings could be scrapped. President Higgins argues that this would make time for young people to engage in more creative pursuits outside school hours.
The former Arts Minister believes that school activities should end at the school gate. He was speaking to RTE’s news2day current affairs and news programme for children on the occasion of the programme’s 20th birthday.
Read more: Children being 'corrupted' by drug dealing situation in Oliver Bond flats, Dail told
When asked what his opinion of homework President Higgins said: “I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things.”
To mark the show’s two decades on air, students from St Kevin’s National School, Littleton, County Tipperary put questions from RTÉ news2day viewers to President Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin. In a wide-ranging interview, the children asked the President questions like, what was your favourite sport when you were in school?
When you were nine years old what did you want to be? And when did you decide you wanted to be President?
The students also asked the President about his dogs, his official trips abroad, his favourite subject in school, differences between now and when he was a child and his favourite book. The President also spoke to the children about his love of handball and the importance of friendship in their lives.
RTÉ news2day will broadcast some of the President’s interview as part of Friday afternoon’s birthday celebrations at 4.20pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ News channel and the full interview will be available later on Friday evening on the RTÉ Player. In a message to the children of Ireland and the viewers of RTÉ news2day, President Michael D. Higgins gave this advice: “To stay curious about everything and I think it’s important to make sure you don’t miss the joy of sharing information.
“And I think an important thing is friendship and to make sure that there’s no one left without friendship and that people belong. And we will all do individual things... but I think friendships that you make will in fact always be great memories and that is so important. And also have the courage to stand your own ground and let other children be allowed the space of standing their ground too because none of us are the same.
“We’re all unique but at the same time we have a lot going for us.” President Higgins also encouraged the children of Ireland to speak the Irish language.
He encouraged them to speak Irish in a fun way and to feel free to use whatever bits of the language that they have.
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President Michael D Higgins calls for school homework to be scrapped
President Michael D Higgins stopped by St Kevin's National School in Tipperary where the pupils interviewed him about his dogs, his time in school and his view on homework
- 15:01, 21 JAN 2023
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President of Ireland Michael D Higgins has said he supports the scrapping of homework.
He addressed students of St Kevin's National School, Littleton, Co Tipperary, this week in an episode of RTE's news2day programme.
The President said that schoolwork should be completed in school time so children can use time after school to pursue more creative activities.
Read more: Ireland weather: Met Eireann pin point the end of the cold snap as temperatures skyrocket next week
“People should be able to use their time for other creative things,” he said.
"I think as much as possible that [homework] should happen in the school and I think it’s more relaxed than it used to be.”
He said that not all lessons are learned from books, but that the responsible use of phones is something that he hopes the younger generation will be acutely aware of.
The children of Ireland "have a great value of friendships" and this makes it even more tragic when there is an "abuse of phones for bullying", the President said.
The pupils were also curious about some of the other residents of Aras an Uachtaran - dogs Brod and Misneach.
"He's probably a very famous dog now," said President Higgins of Brod. "He will be 11 in February, which is a very good age for a Bernese Mountain dog and Bród is wonderful.
"He came here at six weeks old, so he's lived all of his life at the Áras..
As for Misneach, he said: "He came during Covid and because I couldn't collect him because of the ban on inter-county travel, he didn't come to me until he was five months old.
"He also didn't have a good journey here, so he's actually shy. He's a beautiful dog."
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President Michael D Higgins says he doesn't think children should have homework
In a wide-ranging interview with Irish children, the president was asked for his thoughts on homework
- 15:35, 20 JAN 2023
- Updated 11:44, 20 APR 2023
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President Michael D Higgins has called for homework to be banned.
End of homework
Higgins has suggested that school activities should end at the school gates.
A smile is likely to have cross children and teenagers' faces after the president of Ireland suggested that homework should be scrapped.
Higgins argued that getting rid of homework would allow young people more time to engage in creative pursuits outside of school hours.
Speaking on RTÉ's news2day programme for the occasion of its 20th anniversary, children were able to put questions to Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin.
Higgins was asked about his opinion on homework.
The president replied: "I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things."
This isn't the first time a political leader has sought to curry favour with future voters.
In March 2022, when then-Taoiseach Micheál Martin was isolating in the US during his St Patrick's Day visit, told the children of Ireland that they could have the day off homework if they did a kind deed.
Other questions for President Higgins
Other questions that the children asked the president included:
- What was your favourite sport when you were in school?
- When you were nine years old what did you want to be?
- When did you decide you wanted to be president?
- What is your favourite book?
The president was asked about his dogs, his official trips abroad, his favourite subject in school, the difference between his childhood and nowadays.
Higgins told the children he loved handball and spoke about the importance of friendship in their lives.
He encouraged the children to speak the Irish language.
A message to the children of Ireland
In a message to the children of Ireland and the viewers of RTÉ news2day, President Michael D. Higgins gave this advice: "Stay curious about everything and I think it's important to make sure you don't miss the joy of sharing information.
"I think an important thing is friendship and to make sure that there’s no one left without friendship and that people belong.
"And we will all do individual things... but I think friendships that you make will in fact always be great memories and that is so important.
"And also have the courage to stand your own ground and let other children be allowed the space of standing their ground too because none of us are the same.
"We're all unique but at the same time we have a lot going for us."
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President of Ireland calls for homework to be banned
President of Ireland Michael D Higgins. (Source: Getty)
The President of Ireland has made his thoughts known about homework, saying it should be left at the gate and children should be able to use their leisure time for "creative things".
Speaking to RTE’s news2day - a current affairs and news programme for children, Michael D Higgins answered questions on a wide range of topics, the Irish Mirror reports .
When pressed on his views about homework Higgins said: “I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things.”
Higgins, a former arts minister, told children “to stay curious about everything and I think it’s important to make sure you don’t miss the joy of sharing information.
“And I think an important thing is friendship and to make sure that there’s no one left without friendship and that people belong. And we will all do individual things... but I think friendships that you make will in fact always be great memories and that is so important.
“And also have the courage to stand your own ground and let other children be allowed the space of standing their ground too because none of us are the same.
“We’re all unique but at the same time we have a lot going for us.”
Higgins also encouraged the children of Ireland to speak the Irish language.
While the role of president in Ireland is mainly a ceremonial one, it does have some sway over how the government operates.
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Ireland’s President Higgins calls for an end to homework, encourages creativity and meaningful friendships instead
Pushes for education beyond the classroom, emphasizes language learning and self-expression ..
January 24, 2023 – Ireland’s President Michael Higgins is calling for an end to homework.
When pressed on his views during an interview with RTE’s news2day – a current affairs and news program for children, Higgins said: “ I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things. ”
He also added “ I think it’s important to make sure you don’t miss the joy of sharing information. And I think an important thing is friendship and to make sure that there’s no one left without friendship and that people belong. And we will all do individual things… but I think friendships that you make will in fact always be great memories and that is so important. And also have the courage to stand your own ground and let other children be allowed the space of standing their ground too because none of us are the same. We’re all unique but at the same time we have a lot going for us .”
Furthermore, Higgins encouraged the children of Ireland to speak the Irish language.
While the role of president in Ireland is mainly a ceremonial one, it does have some sway over how the government operates.
Even though it remains unclear if Higgins has begun any official paperwork to ban homework, which would irony be homework for him, his sentiment resonated with his many fans.
Homework banned in Ireland? Are my student dreams coming true? According to IrishMirror, President Michael D Higgins has called for homework to be banned as he thinks students can engage in more creative pursuits outside school hours. pic.twitter.com/MLfXlAzAhN — Nare (@Nare33242443) January 24, 2023
President Higgins calls for homework to be banned. It’s such a pity the *head of state* has no actual power on matters. This is such a smart and wise idea. The usual brigade will be out against this, but its the right thing to do for young people https://t.co/Qub7fJnTAA — Dylan (@dylancongolf) January 20, 2023
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Homework could have an impact on kids’ health. Should schools ban it?
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Reformers in the Progressive Era (from the 1890s to 1920s) depicted homework as a “sin” that deprived children of their playtime . Many critics voice similar concerns today.
Yet there are many parents who feel that from early on, children need to do homework if they are to succeed in an increasingly competitive academic culture. School administrators and policy makers have also weighed in, proposing various policies on homework .
So, does homework help or hinder kids?
For the last 10 years, my colleagues and I have been investigating international patterns in homework using databases like the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) . If we step back from the heated debates about homework and look at how homework is used around the world, we find the highest homework loads are associated with countries that have lower incomes and higher social inequality.
Does homework result in academic success?
Let’s first look at the global trends on homework.
Undoubtedly, homework is a global phenomenon ; students from all 59 countries that participated in the 2007 Trends in Math and Science Study (TIMSS) reported getting homework. Worldwide, only less than 7% of fourth graders said they did no homework.
TIMSS is one of the few data sets that allow us to compare many nations on how much homework is given (and done). And the data show extreme variation.
For example, in some nations, like Algeria, Kuwait and Morocco, more than one in five fourth graders reported high levels of homework. In Japan, less than 3% of students indicated they did more than four hours of homework on a normal school night.
TIMSS data can also help to dispel some common stereotypes. For instance, in East Asia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan – countries that had the top rankings on TIMSS average math achievement – reported rates of heavy homework that were below the international mean.
In the Netherlands, nearly one out of five fourth graders reported doing no homework on an average school night, even though Dutch fourth graders put their country in the top 10 in terms of average math scores in 2007.
Going by TIMSS data, the US is neither “ A Nation at Rest” as some have claimed, nor a nation straining under excessive homework load . Fourth and eighth grade US students fall in the middle of the 59 countries in the TIMSS data set, although only 12% of US fourth graders reported high math homework loads compared to an international average of 21%.
So, is homework related to high academic success?
At a national level, the answer is clearly no. Worldwide, homework is not associated with high national levels of academic achievement .
But, the TIMSS can’t be used to determine if homework is actually helping or hurting academic performance overall , it can help us see how much homework students are doing, and what conditions are associated with higher national levels of homework.
We have typically found that the highest homework loads are associated with countries that have lower incomes and higher levels of social inequality – not hallmarks that most countries would want to emulate.
Impact of homework on kids
TIMSS data also show us how even elementary school kids are being burdened with large amounts of homework.
Almost 10% of fourth graders worldwide (one in 10 children) reported spending multiple hours on homework each night. Globally, one in five fourth graders report 30 minutes or more of homework in math three to four times a week.
These reports of large homework loads should worry parents, teachers and policymakers alike.
Empirical studies have linked excessive homework to sleep disruption , indicating a negative relationship between the amount of homework, perceived stress and physical health.
What constitutes excessive amounts of homework varies by age, and may also be affected by cultural or family expectations. Young adolescents in middle school, or teenagers in high school, can study for longer duration than elementary school children.
But for elementary school students, even 30 minutes of homework a night, if combined with other sources of academic stress, can have a negative impact . Researchers in China have linked homework of two or more hours per night with sleep disruption .
Even though some cultures may normalize long periods of studying for elementary age children, there is no evidence to support that this level of homework has clear academic benefits . Also, when parents and children conflict over homework, and strong negative emotions are created, homework can actually have a negative association with academic achievement.
Should there be “no homework” policies?
Administrators and policymakers have not been reluctant to wade into the debates on homework and to formulate policies . France’s president, Francois Hollande, even proposed that homework be banned because it may have inegaliatarian effects.
However, “zero-tolerance” homework policies for schools, or nations, are likely to create as many problems as they solve because of the wide variation of homework effects. Contrary to what Hollande said, research suggests that homework is not a likely source of social class differences in academic achievement .
Homework, in fact, is an important component of education for students in the middle and upper grades of schooling.
Policymakers and researchers should look more closely at the connection between poverty, inequality and higher levels of homework. Rather than seeing homework as a “solution,” policymakers should question what facets of their educational system might impel students, teachers and parents to increase homework loads.
At the classroom level, in setting homework, teachers need to communicate with their peers and with parents to assure that the homework assigned overall for a grade is not burdensome, and that it is indeed having a positive effect.
Perhaps, teachers can opt for a more individualized approach to homework. If teachers are careful in selecting their assignments – weighing the student’s age, family situation and need for skill development – then homework can be tailored in ways that improve the chance of maximum positive impact for any given student.
I strongly suspect that when teachers face conditions such as pressure to meet arbitrary achievement goals, lack of planning time or little autonomy over curriculum, homework becomes an easy option to make up what could not be covered in class.
Whatever the reason, the fact is a significant percentage of elementary school children around the world are struggling with large homework loads. That alone could have long-term negative consequences for their academic success.
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Students and parents plead case for homework ban
School children and parents pleaded with the Minister for Education Norma Foley to step in and introduce a homework ban.
In letters to the minister, kids wrote about how they were being forced to give up hobbies because they were given so much work to do after school.
The correspondence followed comments by President Michael D Higgins in January that a ban on homework should be considered.
In one letter, a school child wrote about how seven hours of school each day was “plenty of education” and that more work on top was unnecessary.
“I do not ask for homework to be completely banned but for it to be reduced to a certain limit. Otherwise, if there is a constant build-up of homework daily, it can cause stress and even a lack of exercise which will affect a person’s well-being.”
Another said they felt homework was a “waste of time” and that a ban should be introduced.
They wrote: “Kids should be doing more creative things with their time after school. Many kids have had to stop doing hobbies they have because of it.
“It is a burden to parents, kids, and teachers [and] so for the above reasons, I think you should BAN HOMEWORK!”
Homework annoys teachers
One hand-written letter, decorated with a Minnie Mouse bow, said homework was “annoying for teachers and pupils”.
“I play soccer and love writing stories, but because of homework, I have no time for doing these things. For teachers, it gives them more copies to correct and they have to go through the trouble of deciding what [homework] to give.”
A secondary school student said that if “sleeping isn’t for school” then “work isn’t for home”.
They explained how they did between one and two hours of homework every evening after school and sometimes more.
“When I would finish, there would be barely any time for me to relax before I had to go to bed to get enough sleep to get up in the morning,” said their letter.
“As I’m sure you’re aware, our president Michael D Higgins also thinks that homework should be banned so if you don’t want to listen to me, listen to our President.”
Another suggested there could at least be a compromise so that students would not be given homework for over the weekend.
“[This would relieve] students of mental stress,” they said.
Help parents
One young student said they were left with no time to help their parents, or to learn how to cook or do other activities around the house.
They said: “We all do activities like swimming, dance, and all other sports. It’s hard work and it’s stressful and it’s unfair.”
A single parent also wrote in to explain how one of their children was getting two hours of written homework every day.
They said: “We need time to teach them life skills such as sewing, cooking, how to work the washing machine, change their own bed sheets and personal care.
“These teachings are very hard for parents with zero [time] left in the evenings. There is no time for them to spend with siblings and parents because they are so tired.”
In responses, the Department of Education told the letter writers that homework policy was not within its powers.
In emails, they said: “The Department does not issue direct guidelines relating to homework being given in schools. It is a matter for each school, at local level, to arrive at its own homework policy.
“In keeping with good practice, the process of drafting a homework policy should involve consultation with teachers, parents, and students.
“However, the Department does acknowledge that homework can play an important part in helping pupils prepare for forthcoming class work and in reinforcing work already covered during class time.”
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President Michael D Higgins says homework should be banned in Ireland
President Michael D Higgins has called for homework to be banned.
The country’s favourite leader has given hope to a new generation of students that the bane of their afterschool evenings could be scrapped. President Higgins argues that this would make time for young people to engage in more creative pursuits outside school hours.
The former Arts Minister believes that school activities should end at the school gate. He was speaking to RTE’s news2day current affairs and news programme for children on the occasion of the programme’s 20th birthday.
Read more: Children being 'corrupted' by drug dealing situation in Oliver Bond flats, Dail told
When asked what his opinion of homework President Higgins said: “I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things.”
To mark the show’s two decades on air, students from St Kevin’s National School, Littleton, County Tipperary put questions from RTÉ news2day viewers to President Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin. In a wide-ranging interview, the children asked the President questions like, what was your favourite sport when you were in school?
When you were nine years old what did you want to be? And when did you decide you wanted to be President?
The students also asked the President about his dogs, his official trips abroad, his favourite subject in school, differences between now and when he was a child and his favourite book. The President also spoke to the children about his love of handball and the importance of friendship in their lives.
RTÉ news2day will broadcast some of the President’s interview as part of Friday afternoon’s birthday celebrations at 4.20pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ News channel and the full interview will be available later on Friday evening on the RTÉ Player. In a message to the children of Ireland and the viewers of RTÉ news2day, President Michael D. Higgins gave this advice: “To stay curious about everything and I think it’s important to make sure you don’t miss the joy of sharing information.
“And I think an important thing is friendship and to make sure that there’s no one left without friendship and that people belong. And we will all do individual things... but I think friendships that you make will in fact always be great memories and that is so important. And also have the courage to stand your own ground and let other children be allowed the space of standing their ground too because none of us are the same.
“We’re all unique but at the same time we have a lot going for us.” President Higgins also encouraged the children of Ireland to speak the Irish language.
He encouraged them to speak Irish in a fun way and to feel free to use whatever bits of the language that they have.
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Norma Foley won't debate homework with President Michael Higgins after his call for it to be banned
Minister Foley finally broke her silence on the matter last night when she told the Irish Mirror that she was not going to get into it with the President.
- 06:00, 26 JAN 2023
- Updated 09:54, 26 JAN 2023
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Education Minister Norma Foley is refusing to debate the homework ban issue with Michael D Higgins after the President called for schoolwork outside of school hours to be scrapped.
Instead, she said it is up to schools to decide homework policy, which is at odds with the President’s call for schoolwork to be left at the school gate.
The controversial comments, made on RTE’s news2day children’s news programme, have had the country’s students, teachers and parents debating the issue since the remarks were made last Friday by the President.
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She said: “It would not be appropriate for a Government Minister to engage in public debate with the office of the President.
“Currently schools are free to have their own policy on homework and these policies are created in conjunction with senior management and staff, the boards of management, parents and the pupils.
“Schools are in of themselves places where creative pursuits are cultivated, nurtured and encouraged and that creativity may also be reflected in homework.”
Meanwhile, a Government Minister has said that it is “important” to include children in discussions about homework policies in schools.
It comes days after President Higgins’ call for homework to be banned at home and for all work to stay in the classroom.
Irish Mirror readers were also overwhelmingly in favour of banning homework, with 98% of our readers in favour.
In a landslide decision, 57,440 readers voted yes, while just 1,211 voted no.
In an interview with RTÉ’s news2day, President Higgins said that he believed that time at home should be spent doing more creative activities,
He said: “I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things."
Minister Foley recently said that her Department does “not issue any guidelines relating to homework being given in schools.
“It is a matter for each school, at local level, to arrive at its own homework policy”.
It followed a question from Fine Gael Minister of State Neale Richmond who asked if research has been carried out by her Department into the benefits of ending the provision of homework for primary school pupils.
He told the Irish Mirror that children should be involved in conversations about their schools homework policy.
Minister Richmond said: “I submitted the Parliamentary Question following a visit to one of my local primary schools.
“The pupils were genuinely interested in the policy relating to homework going forward and I agreed it’s an important discussion to involve pupils in.”
Minister Foley told her Government colleague that the Department of Education has not commissioned research on the matter.
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Pencils Down? French Plan Would End Homework
Eleanor Beardsley
As part of an effort to overhaul education in France, President Francois Hollande is proposing the elimination of homework. Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
As part of an effort to overhaul education in France, President Francois Hollande is proposing the elimination of homework.
In the name of equality, the French government has proposed doing away with homework in elementary and junior high school. French President Francois Hollande argues that homework penalizes children with difficult home situations, but even the people whom the proposal is supposed to help disagree.
It's 5:30 p.m. and getting dark outside, as kids pour out of Gutenberg Elementary School in Paris 15th arrondissement. Parents and other caregivers wait outside to collect their children. Aissata Toure, 20, is here with her younger sister in tow. She's come to pick up her 7-year-old son. Toure says she's against Hollande's proposal to do away with homework.
"It's not a good idea at all because even at a young age, having individual work at home helps build maturity and responsibility," she says, "and if it's something they didn't quite get in school, the parents can help them. Homework is important for a kid's future."
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Struggle for smarts how eastern and western cultures tackle learning.
Toure lives with her son, her little sister and her mother in public housing near the school. On the surface, it seems just the sort of family environment that might put a child at a disadvantage. Yet Toure says she sits down with her son every night, even though she's in law school and has her own studies.
"Poor people want homework because they know that school is very important, and the only chance — the only possibility — they have to give their children a better life is if their children succeed at school," says Emmanuel Davidenkoff, editor-in-chief of L'Etudiant , a magazine and website devoted to French school and education.
An Educational Divide
Davidenkoff says the Socialist government doesn't seem to understand the concerns of the working and middle class and in the name of equality, got it all wrong.
President Francois Hollande argues that homework puts poor children at a disadvantage, but others argue the extra work is needed to help those students succeed. Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
President Francois Hollande argues that homework puts poor children at a disadvantage, but others argue the extra work is needed to help those students succeed.
"Mostly, wealthy people don't want homework because when the kids are at home, they make sports or dance or music. They go to the museums, to the theater. So they have this access to culture, which is very important," he says. "In poor families, they don't have that, so the only link they have with culture and school is homework."
Elisabeth Zeboulon sits in her office over the playground. Today, she's the principal at a private, bilingual school in Paris, but she spent most of her career in French public schools. Zeboulon says the centralized French education system doesn't leave much room for trying different teaching methods.
"The kids are very different from one place to another, from one school to another, and we don't have much way of adapting," she says. "And whenever they start saying, 'Well in this place we could do this, in that place we could do that,' then you have a lot of people coming up and saying, 'Look, it's not equal.' "
Infusing Happiness
Cutting homework is just part of an effort aimed at making primary and secondary school a happier, more relaxed place for children. The school week will be lengthened — currently, French children have Wednesdays off — but the school day will be shortened. Kids get out so late here there's no time for extracurricular activities. Basically, French school is a grind, says Peter Gumbel, author of a scathing book on the education system in France.
"There's an enormous amount of pressure, and it's no fun whatsoever. There's no sport or very little sport, very little art, very little music. Kids don't have a good time at all," he says. "And it's not about building self-confidence and encouraging them to go out and discover the world. It's much more about, sit down and we'll fill your empty heads with our rather dull and old-fashioned knowledge."
There's another big reason the French government is making changing school policy a top priority, Gumbel says.
"The French are discovering — to their horror — that their performance internationally has been declining over the last 10 years. The French actually are performing [worse] than the Americans in reading and science," he says.
This is a huge shock, Gumbel says, to a country that long considered itself an education pioneer.
Homework Should Be Banned
Homework stresses people out.
Dear Future President,
I think that homework should be banned from school because homework is affecting everyone in school. I think teachers should ban homework from school then there can be time for fun after school. People spend a lot of time in school doing work so there should be time after school to have fun, but homework is getting in the way.
If homework gets banned from school there can be a time after school to play with friends, go to the park, play sports, and go bike riding with friends. A student would have time to do other activities like playing different sports, working with their parents, helping senior citizens, and doing community service. Homework makes me upset and it also makes me exhausted. Homework makes me upset because sometimes it makes my brain learn too much information. It also takes too much time. I would rather spend time with my family. Instead of doing homework I could be playing with my brother.
Homework is affecting a lot of people in school which is why I think homework should be banned from school. People spend a lot of time in school doing work. There should be time after school to have fun, but homework gets in the way. I think teachers should ban homework from school. I want you to ban homework from every school in the country so there can be time for fun after school.
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IMAGES
COMMENTS
President Michael D Higgins (Image: Niall Carson/PA Wire) President Michal D Higgins has called for homework to be banned. The country's favourite leader has given hope to a new generation of ...
Schools should strive not to give pupils homework where possible, the president of Ireland has suggested.. In an utterance likely to be seized upon by children for years to come, in classrooms far ...
Kids — and certain presidents. In an impassioned plea to the people of his nation, President Michael D. Higgins has called for a ban on homework across Ireland. And if small children were given ...
President Higgins has ignited a national conversation about homework. Simon Lewis, a primary school principal in Carlow, debates the issue with Chris Donnelly, a principal in Belfast.
Why Homework Was Banned. In the early 1900s, Ladies' Home Journal took up a crusade against homework, enlisting doctors and parents who say it damages children's health. In 1901 California passed ...
President Michael D Higgins (Image: Collins) President Michael D Higgins has called for homework to be banned. The country's favourite leader has given hope to a new generation of students that ...
The President said "time in school… should get finished in school." Mr Higgins weighed on the homework debate while speaking to pupils from St Kevin's National School, Littleton, Co ...
President Michael D Higgins Bloody Sunday speech 2022. President of Ireland Michael D Higgins has said he supports the scrapping of homework. He addressed students of St Kevin's National School, Littleton, Co Tipperary, this week in an episode of RTE's news2day programme. The President said that schoolwork should be completed in school time so ...
President Michael D Higgins has called for homework to be banned.. End of homework . Higgins has suggested that school activities should end at the school gates.. A smile is likely to have cross ...
The President of Ireland has made his thoughts known about homework, saying it should be left at the gate and children should be able to use their leisure time for "creative things". Speaking to RTE's news2day - a current affairs and news programme for children, Michael D Higgins answered questions on a wide range of topics, the Irish Mirror ...
Pushes for education beyond the classroom, emphasizes language learning and self-expression.. January 24, 2023 - Ireland's President Michael Higgins is calling for an end to homework.. When pressed on his views during an interview with RTE's news2day - a current affairs and news program for children, Higgins said: "I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the ...
Read More: President Higgins calls for homework to be banned in Ireland We asked "Should homework be banned?", which was answered with a 98% majority, Yes. In a landslide decision, 57,440 readers ...
President calls for homework ban 2023-01-21 - BY FERGHAL BLANEY Political Editor news@irishmirror.ie PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins has called for homework to be banned. The country's favourite leader has given hope to a new generation of students that the bane of their afterschool evenings could be scrapped. President Higgins argues that ...
France's president, Francois Hollande, even proposed that homework be banned because it may have inegaliatarian effects. However, "zero-tolerance" homework policies for schools, or nations ...
Irish Daily Mail. Children back the President on banning homework (Surprise, surprise!) 2023-03-14 - By Brian Mahon and Ken Foxe [email protected]. PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins provoked a flurry of letters to the Education Minister's office after suggesting that homework should be banned, documents released under the Freedom of Information ...
Attempts to ban homework aren't new. In 2012, President Francoise Hollande of France proposed banning homework for all primary and middle school students, which was roundly ridiculed by The Wall ...
It comes days after President Michael D Higgins called for homework to be banned at home and for all work to stay in the classroom. Irish Mirror readers were also overwhelmingly in favour of ...
The correspondence followed comments by President Michael D Higgins in January that a ban on homework should be considered. In one letter, a school child wrote about how seven hours of school each ...
In the early 1900s, progressive education theorists, championed by the magazine Ladies' Home Journal, decried homework's negative impact on children's physical and mental health, leading California to ban homework for students under 15 from 1901 until 1917. In the 1930s, homework was portrayed as child labor, which was newly illegal, but ...
President Michael D Higgins has called for homework to be banned. The country's favourite leader has given hope to a new generation of students that the bane of their afterschool evenings could be scrapped. President Higgins argues that this would make time for young people to engage in more creative pursuits outside school hours.
Education Minister Norma Foley is refusing to debate the homework ban issue with Michael D Higgins after the President called for schoolwork outside of school hours to be scrapped.
President Francois Hollande says the extra work penalizes students with difficult home situations, proposing doing away with homework in elementary and junior high schools. But others argue the ...
Homework stresses people out. Dear Future President, I think that homework should be banned from school because homework is affecting everyone in school. I think teachers should ban homework from school then there can be time for fun after school. People spend a lot of time in school doing work so there should be time after school to have fun ...