EXCESSIVE HOMEWORK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16914, 1 April 1929, Page 9

EXCESSIVE HOMEWORK

SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS TWO HOURS LONG ENOUGH After consideration of information furnished by answers to a questionnaire, issued to secondary school pupils, and from tho evidence afforded by the reports of their medical examination, the preventive medicine, section of the NewZealand division of the British Medical Association, in conference at Wellington vecentlv, passed a resolution declaring that the amount of 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 be discussed and a definite pronouncement made. Dr. Ada Paterson, director of tho division of school hygiene, says: "In reference, to this resolution it may bo stated that all secondary school pupils who are applicants for entrance into tho teaching profession ai'e medically examinedand 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 school 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 he required of secondary school pupils."