Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I would like to thank the Deputy for his question on the provision of homework.

The Department acknowledges that homework can play an important part in helping students to prepare for forthcoming classwork and in reinforcing work already covered during class time, however, it is a matter for each school, at local level, to arrive at its own homework policy which best serves the school community.

One of the agencies under my remit, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) funded a report commissioned by the National Parents Council - Primary into parental involvement, engagement and partnership in their children’s learning during the primary school years. The research was undertaken by the Marino Institute of Education and is available on the NPC's website www.npc.ie/news-events/parental-involvement-engagement-and-partnership-in-their-childrens-education.

While the broad focus of the report is on features of good parent-school partnerships, there is also a focus on homework at primary level to include:

• The role of homework
• Homework in the Irish context
• Homework in the international literature
• Homework and achievement
• Parental involvement with homework
• Children’s voice on homework.

The report states that there is a lack of consensus in the literature that was reviewed on the value of homework. Both positive and negative effects of homework are noted, including disagreement on its impact on achievement and its implications for family life.

The report also contains recommendations regarding homework at primary level, based on the literature review undertaken. One of the recommendations is that teachers consider giving individualised project based homework tasks whereby children can draw on their own talents and interests.

It is also recommended that teachers explicitly engage in discussions with parents about how they can best support their child’s learning through homework.

In keeping with good practice, it is clear that the process of drafting a homework policy by a school should involve consultation with teachers, parents and of course the pupils themselves. It can also draw on the research available, adapting it to the particular context of their school community.

Furthermore, as the Deputy is aware, schools are in and of themselves places where creative pursuits are cultivated, nurtured and encouraged. Our schools play a central role in encouraging and facilitating opportunities for children for play, involvement in the arts and engaging in physical activities. For example the new primary curriculum that is to be introduced to all primary and special schools over the coming years has play at the core of the pedagogies to be used and one of the key competencies that will be focussed on in the new curriculum is “Being Creative”. Another example is the BLAST: Arts in Education initiative, which funds arts-in-education residencies in primary and post primary schools and has been particularly successful in recent years.

This creativity at school level may also be reflected in homework assigned to students.

I hope this information is of assistance to the Deputy.