Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar had last month promised to bring a Bill in Parliament to ensure that schools do…
Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar had last month promised to bring a Bill in Parliament to ensure that schools do not assign homework to students of Classes I and II following a Madras High Court directive to do away with it. If passed, this would certainly bring much cheer to parents of the tiny-tots as they are the ones under pressure to see that their kids complete the homework tasks. For the children, it would mean relief in terms of the load of books they would have to carry to and from school.
Meanwhile, another debate is raging about holiday homework and projects. Some schools and educationists insist this is most essential as it helps a child revise what was taught in school. The projects are said to be creative and engage the students in what they learn. On the other hand, several people in the field of education, including some teachers, feel the whole exercise is proving to be futile.
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For one thing, the projects that are assigned by most schools are mindlessly done and way beyond the capacity of a child. And so the child is forced to take the help of an adult ~ generally the parents ~ to complete the tasks. In fact, most times it is the parents, who end up “doing” the homework projects. Moreover, the entire family’s holiday plans are ruined with the looming task of completing the homework.
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But now, another aspect of holiday homework projects has taken over ~ outsourcing. It began with parents seeking the help of professionals to make the projects. Soon smart entrepreneurs have begun making these projects for different schools and classes. They make the projects in different price ranges and a parent has merely to choose what they can afford.
At the end of the day, in either case, how does a child benefit or stay abreast of studies through these holiday homework projects, which they do not make in any case?
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