Canadian parents win legal battle against homework

[babylonsister]

Canadian parents win legal battle against homework


Sherri and Tom Milley's children are now exempt from completing school assignments outside the classroom

Usually it is the children, not the parents, who are loath to spend their evenings practising spelling and learning times tables. But a Canadian couple have just won a legal battle to exempt their offspring from homework after successfully arguing there is no clear evidence it improves academic performance.

Sherri and Tom Milley, two lawyers from Calgary, Alberta, launched their highly unusual case after years of struggling to make their three reluctant children do school work out of the classroom.

After waging a long war with their eldest son, Jay, now 18, over his homework, they decided to do things differently with their youngest two, Spencer, 11, and Brittany, 10. And being lawyers, they decided to make it official.

It took two years to negotiate the Milleys' Differentiated Homework Plan, which ensures their youngest two children will never have to do homework again at their current school. The two-page plan, signed by the children, parents and teachers, stipulates that "homework will not be used as a form of evaluation for the children". In return, the pupils promise to get their work done in class, to come to school prepared, and to revise for tests. They must also read daily and practise their musical instruments at home.

more...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/18/canada-homework-milley

[NYC Liberal]

1. Sounds like these parents are substituting actual learning

for mindless rote work. Not that all homework is necessarily mindless rote work, but they aren't just saying "Homework is bad! Why should my kids have to work?"

Quote

the pupils promise to get their work done in class, to come to school prepared, and to revise for tests. They must also read daily and practise their musical instruments at home

[woodsprite]

2. The worst grade my daughter had for homework was 5th grade.

I still sat with her while she did most of it because she had questions or needed computer help. There were many nights that she (we) didn't get to bed until after 11:00 because of all the work she had. Most of the time it was nightly work, not any special projects that she put off, etc. Every teacher gave homework and most said "Well, I only give 1/2 hour of homework. Surely you can do that." But they weren't doing the math (8x30min). I understand her old school now has teachers assigned specific homework nights to split up the load - no regular homework on weekend (projects are allowed) and only 4 subjects each night, instead of a possible 8.

My son's school doesn't adhere to that and we're heading into 5th grade next year. UGH!!!

[Odin2005]

3. Kids now days are getting WAY too much homework.