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School board reviews homework policy

BY Leigh Blenkhorn April 16, 2008 16:04

Students may be holding their collective breath, as the Simcoe County District School Board reviews its homework policy.

Superintendent Lindy Zaretzky said the board started to look into homework after a University of Toronto study showed students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 aren’t receiving benefits from homework.

“There is a great opportunity here to launch into a revisiting of what homework means here,” she said.

Board staff will be surveying teachers in the coming weeks to see how they feel about homework and the amount is being given.

Homework has been a topic of discussion after Education Minister Kathleen Wynne made comments in early April that school boards should review their homework policies to make sure kids have time to be kids and aren’t bogged down with work.

During a recent Central Services meeting trustees raised concerns with homework, and asked those involved in the study to look at group work homework, and students who have less parental support than others.

Trustee Jodi Lloyd said in her experience homework is something that is driven by parents. “That is fine for those students who have an involved parent or parent who follow through on that, but I really feel that we put those students whose parents are working shift work, or are single parents who are not available in the evening, at a significant disadvantage,” she said.

A report is expected in June.

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