EXCESSIVE HOMEWORK.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 101, 28 March 1929, Page 8

EXCESSIVE HOMEWORK.

SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS. RESOLUTION PASSED BY B.M.A. DUNEDIN, March 27. After consideration of information furnished by answers to a questionnaire issued to secondary school pupils, and from the evidence afforded Dy the reports of their medical examination, the preventive medicine section of the New Zealand division of the British Medical Association, in conference at Wellington recently, passed a resolution declaring that the amount oi study outside school hours required from such pupils is excessive, and therefore prejudicial to their physical and mental welfare. This information has been given to a Dunedin resident who wrote to the president of the association on the subject of school homework, asking that the matter should bo discussed and a definite pronouncement made. Dr. Ada» Paterson, director of the division of school hygiene, says: “In reference to this resolution it may be stated that all secondary school pupils who are applicants for entrance into the teaching profession are medically examined and reported upon by officers of the school medical service. A questionnaire was last year submitted to all applicants in order to obtain information regarding the physical and mental demand made by school life. “From the answers given it appears that a considerable proportion of secondary schools pupils spend three hours and over in the preparation of homework. In many cases the fatigue of .a long journey to school, or manual work at home, is added. We consider that two hours’ preparation at homework is the maximum which should be required of secondary school pupils.”