UK parents bottom of class for helping with homework

BRITISH parents are among the most reluctant in the world to help their children with their homework, an international survey shows.

They are also among the least anxious that their children should go to university, according to the report.

What parents in this country really worry about when it comes to their children’s education is whether it will equip them to get a job and make a good living, global education charity Varkey Foundation said. The report, based on a survey of more than 27,000 parents in 29 countries, reveals that British parents spend around half an hour a day, including weekends, helping with their children’s education – amounting to 3.6 hours a week. The only countries where parents are less willing to help are Finland and Japan, where children get 3.1 and 2.6 hours of help respectively. In India, parents devote 12 hours a week to working with their children between the ages of four and 18.

Only 11 per cent of British parents say they spend an hour or more a day helping with homework, and nearly a quarter, 23 per cent, say they give no help to their children at all. Varkey Foundation chief Vikas Pota said: ‘The fact that Indian parents are almost six times more likely to spend an hour a day helping their child is sobering.’

Fewer than a third of British parents agreed that it is very important for their child to attend university, the report found. Only 32 per cent think university is a priority – a level equalled by French parents as the lowest of all the countries.

It suggests the idea that youngsters may be better off training and working for a career has wide support.