Another school deep sigh moment. Time to look at the view for a few moments and breathe.

All parents have different takes on life and schooling. No one right answer. Parents can fundamentally disagree on things like schools. So I am fully aware that what O might say now won’t strike home with many. It’s just me.

These are tough times. So much stress, anxiety and fear. It’s bad enough for adults , what’s it like for our children. It must be a nightmare for them. It’s robbing them of a large chunk of their precious childhood. So I’m my opinion it’s time to cut them some slack. Clearly that view is not shared.

Late last night Hawklad had an email from one of his teachers. Sent to all the class. It was a reminder that the homework that had been set over Christmas was due tomorrow morning. The teacher wanted to remind all the class that the large piece of work had to be done on time. One quote stuck with me. The homework is due regardless of the pandemic lockdown, negatives will be issued.

Ok some parents will be happy with that. This one isn’t. For a start why are we giving out homework over Christmas? Really. It happens every holiday. Can’t we just let children enjoy the time off. Especially at this dystopian time. And then those words regardless of the pandemic lockdown. Really…. For me those 5 words sum up everything which is wrong with the school system.

For me it REALLY needs to change.

74 thoughts on “Really”

  1. I 100% agree!! People who were kids living through the 1918-20 pandemic seem to have done just fine. There’s NO need for the ongoing, INSANE, focus on grades… provide teaching, allow kids to absorb or not at their own pace, and deal with it all later – cause that’s gonna be the outcome anyway!!

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  4. I agree. We have had a couple of those emails as well and they are so frustrating. Today the PE teacher told D’s class they needed to take their school-issued iPads outside and take videos of themselves doing certain assigned soccer kicks and then submit their videos for credit. I wasn’t sitting next to D, I was listening from the kitchen, but I knew he was just staring out the window. But still, in my mind, I thought, “Well, that is a nightmare waiting to happen. We will take the failing grade I guess.” Some kids actually spoke up about how their parents were working and weren’t letting the kids outside until their workday was over. They weren’t excused, but told to be “creative.” This is such a crazy year for teachers trying to come up with assignments that work for each student but sometime they just don’t work (or maybe, aren’t worth it).

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  6. Oh heavens, the lack of empathy…I mean, I do understand assigning *some* work. Usually we had to read a book over the break, but that was about it. No reports or anything. Anything else just seems…yeah, why even bother having a break, then?

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  9. There just no empathy and care that. I feel that is just ‘fuck you’ if I would have been on the receiving end of that.
    And what happened to having a Christmas break?

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  10. Couldn’t agree with you more about kids needing a break! I was never one for a lot of homework. to me it made no sense! Kids are at school all day, their brains need a break when they get home. I understood some, but the way some teachers would pile it on was crazy!

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  13. Homework over Christmas break?? That’s insane! Here in the US there are more and more teachers embracing the concept of no homework. They give students time during the school day to get all their work done. The students might take a little home that they couldn’t finish during the school day.

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  18. Homework over the holidays? Good grief.

    I’ve seen various educationalists argue that homework is largely a waste of time. We should be moving towards less, not more.

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    1. Yes, some quite compelling research that suggests homework is a waste of time for a large percentage of young people. Also plenty of evidence that taking a punitive approach to non-completion of homework is counterproductive. But more than ever we live in an era when opinion seems to hold greater sway than facts and it seems that too many people within the education system still hold the opinion that homework has value.

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  21. For too long schooling in the UK has been more of a box ticking exercise rather than an educational one.
    I rarely did my school homework after a certain age and I don’t think it affected me negatively in later life. 🙂

    (I liked the first post on this blog, the brexit one; interesting photo.)

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  22. Arrgh…Grinch indeed. Homework over the holidays is uncool. I feel you Hawklad! As if Covid did not give us enough stress? Here in Lil Red Dot, our schools are taking it easier in light of Covid and home school through zoom or webinars. Your school system must improve really and keep up with the times – Covid times!

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  23. Those five words are really pretty terrible. We are having trouble motivating our 16 year old daughter who has her GCSEs this year. The absence of structure that going to school every day has left her with little to get out of bed for. She can’t go out, she can’t see her friends or family all she can do is log on to her computer, see what work she has been set and then get on with it. All kids learn differently and some will be ok right now, but for a teacher to say ‘regardless of the pandemic’ is in my view pretty disgusting and takes no account of those that are really struggling.

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  25. I will keep it short because everyone knows my feelings about the school system over there. Reminiscent of Dickens time…..only instead of orphans it is school children being forced to outdated ideals. And that teacher good god. When I listen to T go on and on about his game he is playing right now with strategies and making alliances with other countries etc would make a great learning tool for him. Why? Because it interests him and it causes him to further research things needed so he has a better understanding of it. Things like that. While I understand the need for continuity amongst lessons I think there should also be leeway in how the children are learning their lessons at home. And being allowed to use their own study styles. It is one thing to remind another to bully. And seriously what type of a dick gives fricken homework over Christmas break? Really…..bah humbug to you too school teacher.
    Hugs to you and Hawklad.
    And not to bad didn’t run away too much. 🙂

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  27. I completely agree with you Gary – something needs to give. It just seems that despite the pandemic, things are carrying on full steam ahead. Where is the time to adjust? Where is the compassion?
    Sometimes I feel as though everyone is so afraid, they are projecting their fears and pressures rather than acting with kindness. It might seem naive, but Evee and I try to take a step back and lead with love and understanding. I think the world needs it now more than ever.

    All the best,

    Katie x

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