Homework is age-inappropriate, say parents

Hyderabad: Parents of young children are annoyed at school projects being given to pre-primary students. 

They say that they are the ones who end up completing the assignments because they largely involve cutting and pasting, which young children are unable to do on their own. 

Teachers and psychologists say that these projects are also meant to ensure that families spend quality time together.

Pre-primary students of secondary school certificate schools have to complete projects that  are worth 10 marks each.

Examples of these projects include the creation of models of birds’ nests, igloos, houses with tiled roofs, and buildings. Parents say that such assignments are extremely time-consuming.

In CBSE schools, five marks are allotted for subject enrichment at the primary school level, and evaluation systems are only implemented from Grade 6 onwards.

Mr Ravi Suvvari, a parent from Hitec City whose child studies in an SSC school, said, “It is fine if teachers assign one or two such projects every quarter. Imagine the amount of time needed to prepare three or four projects during the holidays, and the cost of materials required. Some parents even outsource the work to intermediate students; they pay them money to save their own time.” 

Students are also asked to create scrapbooks and paste pictures pertaining to various topics such as birds, domestic animals, and festivals. 

Ms Padmavati Divakarla, headmistress of the primary section of Hyderabad Public School, said, “With both parents working these days, they are not able to spend quality time with their kids. Teachers assign projects to pre-primary and primary students so that parents and children bond and spend more time together.”

According to psychologists, projects serve to enhance children’s skills from a young age, while also being fun ways of learning and engaging with their families. But if the projects assigned to pre-primary students are so difficult that parents have to do them on their own, then they serve no purpose. Experts caution that projects should always be age-appropriate.

In most cases, though, it is the parents who fail to make an effort to take out the time to sit down with their children and help them with their projects. Given their tight schedules, they often find it easier to complete the work by themselves.

Dr Diana Monteiro, a counselling psychologist, said, “Our education system is quite confusing for most people. Children are supposed to enjoy learning, and the assignment of projects is one way to do so. However, the number of projects assigned and the expected standard of work needs to be monitored. This means that the younger the child, the simpler the work should be. Young children are often assigned colouring, drawing, and painting tasks as projects, as these tasks are age-appropriate.”

She said that projects, if used appropriately, can encourage learning. “I see lots of parents wanting their child to excel. They end up pushing their children even at the pre-primary level. This is not right; we should let children grow and become who they are, through positive parenting,” she says.

Parents under stress to finish assignments
A study conducted by researchers at Brown University has revealed that children’s homework can be a cause of stress and tension among parents. Most parents are unable to help their children with their homework, while children themselves dislike completing homework, projects, and assignments.

The study has shown that homework can have a tremendous impact on a family and it can generate stress. Children often think of homework and projects as punishment. According to the researchers, if students struggle with their homework, then the assigned tasks may not be appropriate for their level of understanding.

Ms Nidhi Gupta, a parent, said, “We experience a lot of stress and tension because of our kids’ homework and projects. Different boards have different methodologies, which is confusing for parents. The homework that is assigned to students these days is not straightforward, because of which kids, as well as parents, have to invest extra effort in completing it. Sometimes it feels like we have taken admission in a school, which is really very stressful.”

Mr Kadapa Venkat, a parent from Hyderabad, says, “For pre-primary classes colour or theme days are celebrated, and students are expected to come dressed accordingly. Imagine what a headache it must be for parents to craft vegetables and tie them to their children’s outfits, or to find outfits of the appropriate colour. It has become quite stressful for parents like us to buy the necessary materials required for these projects.”

He adds that children often inform parents of the requirements for the next day at the last minute. “My kids tell me at 8.30 pm or 9 pm that they have to submit some projects the next day. If I am on my way home from work, then I have to turn around and go back to get them the materials.”