Policy of no homework catches on
- Published: 25 May 2005
An independent prep school in North Yorkshire is one of a number of UK schools that have adopted a policy of no homework.
Christopher Lush, head teacher at Malsis Prep School, believes that at the end of a long busy school day children should not be forced to sit down and do homework. He makes the point that this is a time when pupils are far from their best in terms of producing high quality academic work.
Instead of homework, Malsis, which has a large boarding contingent, provides an array of clubs and activities for pupils in the evenings.
"Children should be allowed to experience the joy of childhood and have time for play and activity, to develop human qualities, and develop talents and interests that will last them a lifetime," Lush says.
"We offer a better learning experience all round. We maintain very high academic standards but there is more to education than being schooled for examinations."
A recent study by the Institute of Education, University of London, suggests that homework can create anxiety, boredom, fatigue and emotional exhaustion in children.
The report's author, Dr Susan Hallam, says that while homework can enhance examination results, its impact is relatively small compared with the students' prior knowledge in a particular subject.
"What is not helpful is where students have to do so much homework that they have no time for other activities or where homework is not planned so that they are sometimes overwhelmed," she said. "This leads to anxiety, which in itself is detrimental to learning."
But for students on the borderline between grades, Dr Hallam believes it may make a difference.
"The important thing about homework is that it should be set because it has a meaningful purpose in relation to the learning of the students, not just because it is on the time table," she said.
"Teachers and schools need to make a judgement about whether it's important in relation to the learning needs of particular groups of students."
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