Association considering homework general strike

THE general strike might be over, but parents’ association CEAPA is considering a “homework stoppage.”

Pupils are overloaded with homework and the amount of time they spend on it is increasing steadily, according to CEAPA.

This demonstrates that the system is failing them and schools do not respond to pupils’ educational needs, claimed statement from the association.

“Children should carry out the learning process in school during school hours,” it said. Pupils need motivated, practical teaching focused on acquiring basic skills, CEAPA maintain.

Instead they receive an education based on text books and memorising facts “far removed from the audiovisual culture they grow up in.”

Children need time for sporting, cultural and leisure activities, which also contribute to their personal development, CEAPA argue.

Homework can also cause social inequality, the association pointed out, because not all parents have enough spare time or the educational background to help their children.

Some parents compensate for this by paying for extra tuition and private classes but others cannot.

Homework should complement schoolwork, said the parents’ group, supported by libraries, museums and school resources.

It needs to relate to reading, computing, communicating and investigating and, most important of all, pupils need homework they can complete without adult help.

CEAPA also called on schools to provide after-school support programmes for pupils having problems with schoolwork.

There was a division of opinions in one online poll amongst parents, however, with only 15 per cent agreeing that it was unfair because some children received help from a parent and others did not.

Forty-one per cent were in favour of some kind of homework and 44 per cent said that it reinforced what children learnt in class and taught them to think for themselves.

By Linda Hall