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Oireachtas to discuss if homework should be scrapped

An Oireachtas committee is to assess whether we should scrap homework in our schools. The Irish P...
Newstalk
Newstalk

09.10 12 Jul 2017


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Oireachtas to discuss if homew...

Oireachtas to discuss if homework should be scrapped

Newstalk
Newstalk

09.10 12 Jul 2017


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An Oireachtas committee is to assess whether we should scrap homework in our schools.

The Irish Primary Principals' Network says the traditional form of after-school assignments needs to be re-assessed.

However, the body says some form of homework should be maintained in order teach pupils how to study.

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The Oireachtas Petitions Committee will discuss the issue later today.

The petition, to 'Eradicate homework for children in Primary School', was started by Alexandra Koster back in January.

Maria Doyle is president of the IPPN. She told Newstalk Breakfast things need to change.

"I would be saying 'look at doing your homework differently'... certainly I wouldn't be doing what we have always done.

"We need to be realistic here, and children - particularly in senior classes in school - need to develop skills around study".

"Every single school has a homework policy which must be constructed with parental involvement, and it never ceases to amaze me that parents don't have a bigger say in what format this homework takes.

"In other words: what do the children enjoy doing, and what is it there for?

"It used to be there you see that home knew what was going on in school - now I think that day, that ship has sailed.

"Because now what children need to be doing at home is project work, research, that type of thing - where children are given tasks to do where it's not an extension of, or worse again, work that wasn't addressed in school".


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