SCHOOL HOMEWORK

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 82, 6 April 1929, Page 8

SCHOOL HOMEWORK

MEDICAL VIEWPOINT DUNEDIN, March. 26. A Dunedin citizen who wrote to the president uf the British. Medical Association (New Zealand division) on the subject of school homework, asking that the matter should be discussed and a definite pronouncement be made by that body, has received the following reply from Dr Paterson, director of the division of school Hygiene: “Dr J. fcj. Elliott has forwarded me your letter of 9th ultimo, with reference to tba subject of education during adolescence, and has suggested that 1 reply to you. Al the recent conference of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, held in Wellington, the preventive medicine section of the conference discussed th e question uf the medical examination oi teachers, and the following resolution was passed: ‘After consideration oi. the information furnished by answers to a questionnaire issued to secondary school pupils, and from the evidence afforded by the reports of their medical examination, this meeting of the preventive medicine section (New Zealand branch) of the 8.M.A., Wellington, February 21, 1929, is of the opinion that the amount of study Outside school hours required from such pupils is excessive, and therefore prejudical to their physical and mental In reference to this resolution it may be slated that all secondary school pupils who arc applicants for entrance ’ntc the teaching profession are medically examined and reported upon by officers of the school medical s*. rvice. A questionnaire was last year submitted to all applications in order to obtain irfoin ation regarding the phy-.-icrJ and m< i tai demand made by school life, and from the answers given it, appears that a considerable proportion of secondary school pupil* 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 a‘- houmerk is flip maximum which should be required o- secondary school I'llflls."