PRIMARY PUPILS FREED FROM ALL HOMEWORK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18642, 20 December 1928, Page 9

PRIMARY PUPILS FREED FROM ALL HOMEWORK.

EXAMINATION RESULTS WERE EXCELLENT. (Special to the “Star.”) AUCKLAND, December 20. The abolition of homework for the pupils of the Mount Eden Primary School has the almost unanimous approval of parents. Of 141 replies from parents to a questionnaire sent out by the committee, 125 favoured the abolition, and 71 gave their reasons. In reporting on the questionnaire last evening the chairman said that parents were asked whether the abolition had had any effect on the health of children; did they eat better or sleep better? What effect was noted on the social side of home life, and were they in favour of contimiing the ban ? Naturally, the replies received were various, but 125 favoured the change. Although 54 did not give their reasons for the affirmative attitude, the remaining 71 gave different reasons for favouring the continuance of the abolition, and all spoke in high praise of the change. Some noted an improved position of the children in class work, others remarked that the social side of home life had been greatly strengthened, while still other? emphasised that better health had been enjoyed by the children. Of 12 negative replies only one was really strongly opposed to the dropping of homework. There were also four doubtful replies, and a number of parents supplied no answer. The questionnaire was sent to parents of children in Standards I. to IV. inclusive. Mount Eden has no higher standards. Apart from the parents’ emphatic vote of confidence in the system, inspectors have spoken in high praise of the school’s work. The retiring headmaster, Mr A. Douglas (who came from the Central School at Nelson only two years ago), was responsible for the innovation eighteen months ago. He states that in forty years’ teaching experience examination results have never been better than at Mount Eden, in spite of the elimination of homework.