Why parents dodge homework duties

A QUARTER of British parents do not help their children with homework, a survey has found, as experts say they are put off for fear of embarrassment.

In the poll of more than 27,000 parents across 29 countries, just over one in 10 UK mothers and fathers were found to spend the equivalent of at least an hour a day assisting their children with school work.

Parents from India, Vietnam, Colombia and Malaysia were the most likely to spend seven hours a week helping their children with homework, according to the survey published by the Varkey Foundation, a global education charity.

On average, British parents spend 3.6 hours a week helping youngsters.

Chris Mcgovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said that while middle-class parents might hire private tutors, deprived families may lack the wherewithal to do the same.

“It is a tragic situation where children are not getting the right support,” he said. “Children who suffer the most are ones whose parents can’t help them. We need an adult literacy and numeracy programme.”