Parents’ alarm as head bans homework to assist teachers
A HEADTEACHER has sparked anger by abolishing homework at a secondary school to give staff time to plan more carefully for lessons.
Principal Catherine Hutley says teachers at Philip Morant School and College will not have to set and mark homework because “there are not enough hours in the day” and homework “is not working for most pupils”.
Ms Hutley said she accepted that the decision would be controversial but out-of-school-hours learning will still be encouraged through an online portal, with prizes offered to the most dedicated students at the 1,650-pupil school in Colchester, Essex.
Battleground
She said: “It is a move away from a more traditional approach but we would not do anything which would hinder the progress of our children.
“The job of a teacher is impossible. There are not enough hours in the day for a teacher to teach, set homework, mark homework and plan lessons.
“We have the most dedicated and committed staff you could possibly ask for. They are working every hour God sends, but planning lessons can fall by the wayside.
“We wanted it to be the number one priority so teachers can plan for students’ individual needs and keep on top of their progress.” Of the potential impact on students, she said: “We are aware opinions are polarised.
“Many parents and carers are delighted by the change and others concerned by what the move will mean for their child.
“We have carefully analysed the performance and progress of our students and the impact homework has had on this. We know homework is not working for the majority of our students.”
Ms Hutley said the move away from traditional homework had been discussed for a year, but yesterday parents told how the first they knew of it was when children arrived for the new term after the summer holidays.
Writing on an internet forum, one parent said: “Telling the pupils on the first day of term that there’s no more homework makes for a battleground at home.
“The school may have discussed it for a year but the parents were not included in those conversations.
“The first we knew was when the kids came home.
“As for parents and carers supporting this move, I have yet to meet one.” Another message on the site said: “On the bright side there won’t be a ‘premium’ put on houses by estate agents soon for being in ‘the Philip Morant catchment area’.”
Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: “I would think many parents – and even some pupils – will be very alarmed by this.
“Homework is an intrinsic part of learning, particularly in state schools where they have a shorter school day.
“It’s extraordinary they should go along this path. It’s an experiment which is making children into guinea pigs and setting them up to fail.”