Formally withdrawing child from homework

Mojisola

*max* wrote: »

Of course the work doesn't have to be done at home, just because it's called "homework". It still needs to be done though.

Children do need to learn how to work individually and how to find information out for themselves and so on but there is a fair amount of homework that is just routine stuff because "Tuesday is English homework day".

balletshoes

bestpud wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone has withdrawn their child from homework, at primary or secondary level? Or does anyone work in a school with a parent who has?

I understand homework isn't a legal obligation but could a school exclude a child if parents state they don't want their child to have homework? Can they actually do anything at all?

To be clear - I know all the reasons for and against homework so I'm not after opinions on whether or not it's a good idea!

I'm just wondering what schools do in that situation.

one of my daughter's best friends has never done her homework in primary school. Her mum "didn't believe in it, believed all and any school work should be done in school time". DD's friend had no suspensions or exclusions from school.

valk_scot

bestpud wrote: »

She refused to do any homework at secondary school.

Just point blank refused.

Assignments towards exam presentations? Folio and project work that would count towards her final exam marks? She didn't do any of this? That beggars belief tbh, at DS's school you can't even be presented for exams without the folio pieces being submitted too.

*max*

Mojisola wrote: »

Children do need to learn how to work individually and how to find information out for themselves and so on but there is a fair amount of homework that is just routine stuff because "Tuesday is English homework day".

That's a teaching issue then, if the teacher isn't giving out relevant work.

balletshoes

bestpud wrote: »

I'm not asking because it's something I plan to do, of that's what you are thinking.

It was suggested (by school staff) that I formally reduce the homework my daughter will receive in secondary school as work takes much longer for her to complete and we were spending several hours doing homework the teacher thought should take an hour at most.

Sooo, I started thinking about the pros and cons of homework and I guess I'm just curious to know how many have refused homework altogether.

I can see why you asked the question bestpud, I think its probably a good idea in your daughter's case. In my opinion homework shouldn't take hours, because after about 20 minutes you lose focus anyway (well, I always did ).

My DD's secondary school is, in my opinion, very lax when it comes to homework and sanctions for not doing it. I'm going to be discussing it with the teachers I meet next month on her parents evening.

valk_scot

bestpud wrote: »

It was suggested (by school staff) that I formally reduce the homework my daughter will receive in secondary school as work takes much longer for her to complete and we were spending several hours doing homework the teacher thought should take an hour at most.

Sooo, I started thinking about the pros and cons of homework and I guess I'm just curious to know how many have refused homework altogether.

Well, that's a bit different. Can I ask if your DD keeps up with her classmates during school hours and completes class work at the usual rate? Because if she does then it's odd that one hours work at home takes her so much longer. However if she's normally taking a lot longer to complete classwork than her classmates and the homework reflects this then she needs to have the work tailored to her abilities rather than having her snowed under with homework that's too difficult for her.

On the other hand a suggestion...if the homework is supposed to take one hour then your daughter should do it for an hour, you sign it off no matter if it's finished or not and send it with a note that the necessary hour has been put in. The school can't fault the effort put in, after all, so there should be no question of exclusion here.

itsanne

I've known of children whose parents wrote into school withdrawing them from homework, despite facilities being available for it to be done in school. There were no sanctions as it cannot be compulsory. It should be possible to negotiate a reduced amount where there is a specific problem.

Should have said that's in Scotland.

bestpud

skintchick wrote: »

I don't know Bestpud but I'm on your wavelength with this and interested to hear whatever you find out.

When you really start looking at the homework they do and considering how much more you could have done with them in that time, the cracks really start to show don't they!

bestpud

valk_scot wrote: »

Assignments towards exam presentations? Folio and project work that would count towards her final exam marks? She didn't do any of this? That beggars belief tbh, at DS's school you can't even be presented for exams without the folio pieces being submitted too.

She did it all during school hours.

meritaten

bestpud wrote: »

I'm not asking because it's something I plan to do, of that's what you are thinking.

It was suggested (by school staff) that I formally reduce the homework my daughter will receive in secondary school as work takes much longer for her to complete and we were spending several hours doing homework the teacher thought should take an hour at most.

Sooo, I started thinking about the pros and cons of homework and I guess I'm just curious to know how many have refused homework altogether.

I don't get this - the school staff think your daughter should do less homework? working on this at home was taking far longer than expected?

in that case why aren't the school re-assessing the group your daughter is in and either reducing her schoolwork or homework? Why is this down to you?
If your daughter is struggling it is surely up to the teaching staff to re-assess her? and call in additional aid?
I agree - spending 'several' hours doing homework is not right. not for your daughter or for you. there is something very wrong and it isn't with you or your daughter.