HOMEWORK FOR STUDENTS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22135, 3 July 1937, Page 14

HOMEWORK FOR STUDENTS

Position at Technical College

PARENTS REPORTED TO BE SATISFIED

Parents cf new pupils at the Christchurch Technical College this year are satisfied with, or have at least acquiesced in. the amount of homework set for the students, according to a report presented by the principal, Dr D E Hansen, to a meeting of the Board of Governors last evening. The subject of homework was raised at a previous meeting of the board by Mr T. A. Nuttall, a representative of the parents on the board. The director's report stated that 01 487 replies received to a circular 437 parents said that they were satisfied with the amount of homework or at least had no objection to raise. Three did not believe in homework; Zi thought there was too much homework, and 2G thought there was insufficient homework. "Parents in the Technical High School are therefore obviously well satisfied as to our judgment on the amount of homework that we consider necessary for their children, and I have no reason to believe that many parents of evening school students are dissatisfied," said Dr. Hansen. "I meet hundreds of them every year, and practically never receive an objection. I would certainly know about it if there was any strong feeling. It has to be rememoered that 75 per cent. 01 our evening students are 16 years or over, some of them being of full adult age so that in the matter of age many oi them are comparable with University students. Tney enrol in our classes with a definite object in view, frequently in order to pass some public examination or to reach a dennitc standard of attainment in one oi our courses. They attend on an average about 5 hours a weeK, say 150 nouis in the year, as against 950 hours in a secondary school. It is therefore obviously out of the question for them to attain their object in most courses without a reasonable amount ot homework and the students themselves realise it. Indeed, most of them would feel that any considerable reduction in the amount of homework would defeat the object that they have in view in joining our classes. Students Appreciative

"Some of our instructors have discussed with students the matter of a reduction in the amount of homework as brought up at the board meeting, he continued. "The students showed appreciation of the sympathy expressed with them in their labours but they said quite freely that they knew what was necessary for success and they were prepared for the degree of effort and salf-sacrince involved for a year or two. I have discussed with the geography instructor the amount of homework set as .quoted at the board meeting. He points out that he has to cover in 30 hours' instruction the ground that occupies 100 in our day school: he works harder therefore than any of his students. This instructor prepared about 50 students in geography for last year's matriculation examination; only three of them failed to secure the required minimum of marks. This shows that he knows his work and handles his class suecsssfully. "I can only suggest that student* not prepared for the hard work involved in the matriculation course in evening school should take seme other course. Many' of the courses have very little homework, few have more than one to two hours a week. Even this amount of independent work helps in developing the attitude of inquiry so valuable in a student."