In most schools, assigning, doing, and reviewing homework is an integral part of the academic programme. Yet, the debate continues about the amount, type and overall value of homework.
The academic value of homework has been debated by educators, politicians, and parents in the U.S., Canada, and Europe since at least the mid-1800’s. In the late 1800’s, teachers viewed the mind as a muscle, and, therefore, believed it needed to be exercised through memorization at home to prepare students for the next day’s lessons. Later theories suggested homework not be assigned until Grade 7 or age 11.
In the 1950’s, concerns were expressed by U.S. teachers that the educational system in general was not preparing students sufficiently for the technological revolution. Homework was then embraced as a means of accelerating knowledge acquisition.
Since then, over 500 studies have been conducted on the value of homework and the results are inconclusive.
At Saltus, we understand and appreciate the busy lives that our students and parents lead. We do not want our teachers to assign a heavy load of homework each night solely to keep their students busy. We do not want to overwhelm our students after a full day of classes.
A review of assigned homework in Middle Division reveals that the problem isn’t so much the volume of homework, but the notice period given to students before the homework is due. Mrs. Paynter, Director of Middle Division, has consulted with Heads of Department to find out what their expectations for homework are and arrived at a sensible compromise – homework timetables.
The timetables have been designed to suit each year group. Students can expect approximately six and a half hours every week in S7 and S8. This is reasonable and should still give plenty of time for family or extracurricular activities. In Year 9, in preparation for the GCSE years, the amount of homework set will increase to approximately 8 hours and 50 minutes per week.
Students have had the timetables for a couple of weeks now and the feedback has been very positive; students like knowing what to expect each day and some even say it helps them avoid Homework Timeout! Mrs. Paynter can verify this statement; she tells me that Timeout attendance is dropping!
It’s also important to listen to the concerns of the student body – issues are raised, we understand their concerns and we then work towards finding a solution. It certainly helps the drive home theme of ‘a connected community’ when students know their voice will be heard.
