Homework

It's up to you what time and effort it's given but it reinforces the learning from the classroom. But maybe the football gets priority. Why playground after football?

To be honest, it doesn't take that long. If it does then maybe the child needs the extra work.

How many minutes of homework is typical for secondary kids?

I don't like homework as a concept. I was a smart kid at school, paid attention, did well in exams etc, but HATED doing homework. I just resented having to take time out of my evening to do extra work. I always got in trouble about it, from 1st class right up to the Leaving Cert, and with both my teachers and my parents. It never changed my view. I am a successful professional now and am happy to work late the odd time at home, which is my choice rather than a "you must".

I have three kids now and I don't place a huge emphasis on it. The oldest, who's 10, is very self motivated and likes to have everything done just as asked, so she prefers to get her homework done before any after school activities, and gets anxious if it's not done. So I let her work away at it. My middle child is not as motivated, so I set a half hour limit (she's only in 2nd class) and sort of guide her through it. What she gets done in the half hour, she gets done. I happily write a note. Same for the odd day where we decide to just go shopping or to the cinema.

That said, it's a lot easier now that one of us is WFH. I found that when they did their homework in after-school, it was usually half done and the childminders had no idea how to guide them through it.

Definitely not. Young children learn more from play then they do from anything they do at the kitchen table. Lots of air time given to the obesity epidemic we have sleep walked into in this country and yet we still have people advocating for prioritising sedentary activity over physical play.

It's more then enough for primary age children to be sitting down to academics for 4 or 5 hours a day in the classroom without it eating into the time they should be out playing in the afternoon and evening too.

What school did you go to? I did well in my junior cert and leaving cert. I speak french well (more to do with spending time in France than anything I learned in school). I speak literally no Irish, despite completing homework in it to the best of my ability three times a week for nigh on ten years. The only thing that has stood to me in later life are the curriculum (curriculi?) I completed in History, Economics and English for my Leaving Cert. If I think back to my junior cert, the only thing I can remember being of benefit now is Music Appreciation, which means I can read music, which helps with my children's piano lessons. That's it.

I was hopeless at completing homework - it didn't matter if it was 90 minutes worth or 3 hours worth. I was a diligent kid in class, but once I was home, I was home. I spent all of my time when I was supposed to be doing homework reading books. Something I really enjoyed. It's nonsense to say that the only alternatives are homework or instagram. And for younger kids, playing outside and then reading should wholly replace doing sentences and lists of maths problems. An exercise habit, a liking for the outdoors and a love for reading are going to stand to them so much better later on in life than being able to discuss the Boer War or the essays of Baudelaire at a dinner party.

You were lucky, but I think you'd agree that your school would be an outlier - not just in the 80's but definitely now. Yes, there are schools with diligent and interested teachers. Occasionally you'll get a once in a lifetime teacher who instils an absolute passion in a subject, so that homework doesn't seem like work - just an extension of your own interests. But for most people the homework assigned to them is bland and uninspiring at best, and mostly - in my opinion - wholly unnecessary.

I think we should always stand back and look at a bigger picture. What is school supposed to teach us?

1. The basics of maths and science so that we have a rudimentary knowledge of the world around us, and so that we can budget and maintain our own finances (why don't we learn about how to calculate tax, or apply for a mortgage or loan as absolute basic? Rather than theorems which - despite doing honours maths - i have zero recollection of now).
2. How to play a sport that we might continue to play for recreation as adults. It does not need to be a team sport.
3. Read and appreciate two or three classic novels, plays and poems.
4. How to write in a clear and plain english manner, with acceptable (doesn't need to be perfect) grammar.
5. How to speak one other language.
6. A basic knowledge of history up to 100 years ago, and then history in a bit more detail so that we can understand the politics of what is going on now.
7. And then for those going on to higher education - they can specialise in two or three subjects that will help them in their upcoming college courses.

Personally I think schools should also teach cooking, first aid, how to swim and how to critically assess media as absolute core subjects, but I'afraid we fall down in these areas.

All of these things can be taught between 9am and 4pm, including assessments so that you know which children need a little help. There is absolute zero need for children to do one/two/three hours of homework a night in order to learn the above basics or for teachers to learn which pupils need more assistance. I am sure you would be equally as passionate now about what you learned in school had your school decided not to give out homework, and you spent your free time with friends, outdoors, or indulging in your own (healthy) interests.

This sounds like an anti-teachers-having-long-holidays post, so I'll assume you're not a teacher - but have you any evidence of the claim in the first sentence and any logic to backup the theory that more equals better? Could it be the quality of training tecahers recieve that causes it? Or inefficent syllabus/course content?

In fairness, he was talking on News2Day and answering questions from primary school pupils, one of whom asked what he thought about homework. I don't think that was really to forum to start talking about ESRI reports.

Why should he resile from them though? If he truly believes children will be better off without homework, he should be able to say it. We all know the President has no law making power. And the standard line from the government is always that - that they don't comment on opinions of the President. It's hardly a constitutional crisis.

I doubt there are any scientific studies done on whether homework benefits or harms children. It'd be a very difficult study to complete, for a start, as financial and parental factors will always play a much bigger role in academic achievement then the completion or non-completion of homework. That's aside from the ethics of withdrawing or adding homework on to primary school children in order to measure their effects.

All we can really do is compare similar countries where homework is prevalent and where homework isn't. Compare the happiness levels of both populations of children, and compare employability levels for those children as they reach adulthood. That's the only way to figure out whether homework is helpful.

Most nine year olds won't have finished at 2pm for many years, maybe a third of their life. 3 is normal enough after infants

Our three primary kids just get on with it as soon as they get home. Usually no more than half an hours work so not onourous and none on Fridays.

My middle child struggles a little with maths and I can see the benefit of having us helping her to reinforce what she learned in school. The other two just ask us to sign at the bottom 🤣 They all go to a local Gaelscoil so Irish homework is never an issue thankfully! Honestly we would struggle more i think if they went to an English speaking school as I did pass Irish in my leaving and am terrible at languages and my wife isnt from Ireland originally so doesnt speak a word.

A sensible commentary from the mother of primary school kids in support of a reasonable level of homework. Some interesting international comparisons.

And she points out "We still have no assessment of Covid learning loss. Last year, some primary classes took standardised tests, and these results are due in May. They may prompt some homework protesters to change their mind."

It is now over 1,000 days since Leo Varadkar, our once and future Taoiseach, shut down all schools (Ya missed that milestone? Of course, 'cos no one wants you to remember). Seems like all our education researchers are too busy to figure out what effect that unprecedented, nationwide closure had on a generation of students.