Is it time to ban homework in Ireland?
Parents and pupils are calling on Minister for Education Norma Foley to ban homework in Ireland.
Many parents have voiced their concerns about the level of homework their kids get, but they’re taking it a step further by writing to the Education Minister.
Foley has received multiple letters from both children and parents about why a homework ban is needed.
According to The Irish Examiner, children revealed that homework is having a negative impact on their lives outside of school.
Many pupils believe they do enough work in school and stressed that there is little benefit to spending hours doing homework in the evenings.
One child wrote;
“I do not ask for homework to be completely banned but for it to be reduced to a certain limit. Otherwise, if there is a constant build-up of homework daily, it can cause stress and even a lack of exercise which will affect a person’s well-being.”
Many children told Foley that homework was “a waste of time”. Others said it was a “burden to parents, kids, and teachers.”
Varadkar said homework should not be banned completely
Both Leo Varadkar and Michael D. Higgins have expressed concerns about the amount of homework children are getting in Ireland.
However, Varadkar does not believe in a complete ban on homework.
He previously said there’s a place for homework in our education system, but we need to have a fair balance.
“You could have a long day in class, get home in the early evening, and then face, you know, three hours of homework.
“I remember that when I was a kid, staying up very late to do homework,” he shared.
Varadkar stressed that it shouldn’t be banned completely, but scaled back.
President Higgins also voiced his concerns about homework
The President of Ireland agreed with parents and said children should have more free time after school.
He told RTÉ’s news2day: “I think myself, really that the time at home and the time in school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things.”
Do you think homework should be banned in Ireland?
