Too much homework?

My son (who's 12, in year 7) has been very worried about the amount of homework that he gets and his ability to finish it all in time (for example, tonight he has to learn the first 20 elements in the periodic table, do 20 questions of maths and research facts about the French Revolution). Maths is not a strong point and takes him longer than the recommended time, so that's the first hurdle (and 10 minutes for the complexity of the questions he was given is over-optimistic on the school's part). Recently we had a letter home from his headmaster, asking us various questions about their homework and whether we thought they were given too much. How much do your year 7s get and do you think it's a reasonable amount or excessive? All answers would be gratefully received.

When I was in year 7 I didn't have a great deal of homework actually, but that was 6 years ago and they might have upped it a bit now!

I can generally agree on the over-loading of homework, for a few months I was getting 4 pieces of French homework a week, way too f***ing unfair and it's not really doable, no one knew what was due when and for what teacher!

How long has he had to do the work?

my best friend is a teacher and she always says that if the teachers feel it necessary to send home lots of homework, then they are not teaching them enough in school

That's a pretty good point, a lot of it is time management which I've really had to get a grip on in the last year

They expect so much of us students these days, we've had to work so bloody hard in 3 of my 4 subjects to be able to cram the course in on time!

i think it must be really insulting when there is a high pass rate on exams. they go on about the exams being too easy. yet if you all fail you havent worked hard enough

In Year 7 I had basically no homework. That does sound quite excessive for a Year 7, that year is meant to be about easing them into more complex work, not overloading them with work. If he's getting lots of homework it could suggest that the teachers are insecure about their teaching abilities.

funny my sister was only talking abuot the amount her 6yr old gets all ready and the trouble she gets in if she doesn't do it..

government trying to take the load off the teachers and plant it on the parents maybe?

Exams are not too easy... There was a sociology exam on today and all the students said it was near enough impossible... I hate exams, I don't do well in them and I think it's unfair for them to be asking for so much from us

By the way, I never saw the Periodic Table until I was in year 10.

Many teachers don't seem to realise that their class is not the only class you are in. Sure, an hour of homework isn't that big of a deal, but let's say you get an hour of homework in 4 different subject. Sort of gets a bit out of hand doesn't it? Your son is in 7th grade, so he's in pre-algebra right? I remember homework in that class would usually take me 30 - 45 minutes.

Homework is pretty much needed to reinforce what was learnt in the lessons.

It should be reinforcing what was taught not getting them to learn something completely new though.

I don't remember ever having any home work in year 7

They've upped it quite a lot, I think. And the confusion you've mentioned is rife at his school. several teachers are trying to get their piece of homework in at once and it's too much.



He was given two days to do the periodic table on top of other bits and pieces. The maths was given to him today, to be in tomorrow. The French Revolution stuff he had on friday and has to give in tomorrow but they haven't been very specific about what he should research and this is a problem that we've come across before: not enough information and their teachers having pressures on them from other directions which diverts their attention away from the kids. And there is always more homework thrown in which overlaps previous stuff.




Well, trillian, I'm very bewildered by it all. The maths teacher is somebody I'll have to arrange to talk to because Ollie said she is very reluctant to help them if they don't understand something after she has gone through it and today, apparently, told them that they're treating her like their mother and making her throw tantrums??? A problem there, I think. Ollie is rather nervous of her.