At what age should be compulsory for students?

Introduction At what age should homework be compulsory for students? The purpose of this presentation is come up with an idea on what direction we want to take our homework policy. There are so many discussions involving the topic of homework. Should it be compulsory, and if so when should it become compulsory and what are our objectives going to be if we do set homework. Throughout the presentation we will look at the pro’s and con’s to having set homework and what is seen as an adequate amount of homework if it was to be enforced into the school curriculum. Thank you to the staff and parents who are here to help start the process of our Homework Policy.

Benefits of Homework The one main point that seems to keep appearing is that parents expect homework to come home with their children. If they have homework then that is a sign to them as parents that the school is doing their job of educating their children. However there needs to be better reasoning and understanding as to why there can be benefits to homework. Research has been done that shows positive evidence that homework helps students with their academic achievement Provides opportunity for parents and their children to interact and have an impact on their education. Help with future work ethics and organisational skills, which will come into play once out in the work field.

Disadvantages of Homework Can cause negative impact on parents and their relationships with their children, due to fighting over completing homework. Takes away time for children to participate in extra-curricular activities such as sports, music and drama, which can help with confidence and physical well-being. Some families may have less if no access to technology, which makes it difficult for children to complete homework effectively. Some children may have more chores then wealthier families which allows less time to complete homework tasks Christopher Bantick feels that homework is a “convenient babysitter”, rather then being an academic support to students. Students who struggle academically, may feel even less inspired to complete homework without teacher support and may feel inadequate.

What age should Homework begin? Through research it shows that Homework in primary schools has no effect on the students academic achievement. The students aged between 11 to 13 had some academic achievement, however not as much as the 14-16 year olds. Students who are 14 to 16 years old and receive homework perform 69% better then those who don’t receive or don’t complete homework.

Frequency and duration of Homework Here are some recommended frequencies and durations of study for all ages: Early Years (Prep-Year 4) – no more then 30mins per day and not on weekends and holidays Middle Years (Years 5-9) – 30-45 mins per day in Year 5 to 45-90 mins per day in Year 9 Later Years (Years 10-12) – 1-3 hours per week night plus up to 6 hours on weekends during the school term. Keeping in mind these are only recommendations.

Questions we need to discuss What are the objectives that we want to reach by implementing homework? What Grade if any do we want to implement homework? WHY? How much homework will we provide each week to students? How can we make homework more beneficial for all involved, students, parents and teachers? How can we make homework interesting for the students, so that they want to participate and do well? What amount of participation do parents want in the a) implementing of home work and b) in the participation of homework?

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