9486 in the collection
Wynne adds her support to homework review
Ohanian Comment: Can you imagine any of our chief school officers worrying that kids are slogging through homework when they should be outside playing?
Ending homework before holidays isn't enough. We should end it, period. We need a campaign to bring back family life.
I highly recommend the PBS film Where Do the Children Play? There is also a study guide that goes with it, pricey but this is a topic well worth making the focus of a series of PTA meetings. Take the film on the road, showing it at libraries, public service organizations, and so on.
by Kristin Rushowy
If homework is leaving children with no time to play, school boards across the province should be reviewing their policies on after-school assignments, says Ontario's education minister.
Kathleen Wynne made the comment in light of a report to Toronto trustees that would end homework over holidays and limit it to one hour for students in Grades 7 and 8, and two hours a night for high school students, to be assigned in "blocks" ahead of time. For primary students, homework should mainly be reading and talking with parents, it says.
"I'm concerned in general about kids not having any free time and not having opportunities to play and imagine and be bored and all those things that kids need to be able to do," Wynne said yesterday, adding boards need to review homework policies regularly.
"So anything that keeps kids from having those opportunities I think we need to be looking at as a society."
The Toronto District School Board will today discuss the proposal, sparked by complaints about students being overloaded with work.
Former student trustee Nick Kennedy had said some Grade 4 students were up until 11 p.m. doing work and high school students, especially those with part-time jobs, were overwhelmed with assignments.
A national study found Ontario students are doing more homework than others across the country and it causes stress and conflict in the home.
Martin Long, who heads the Elementary Teachers of Toronto, said it's time for a change and was pleased his members' concerns were heard.
Boards across Greater Toronto have homework policies or guidelines in place that are generally updated every few years. The Dufferin-Peel Catholic board said it was already internally discussing homework reform and is expecting a report. The York Region District School Board last reviewed its policy in 2005 with the input of parent councils, teachers and trustees. It suggests a maximum of four nights of homework a week in elementary school.
— Kristin Rushowy
Toronto Star
2008-04-02
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