NO MORE HOMEWORK.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5015, 18 August 1926, Page 3

NO MORE HOMEWORK.

EXPERIMENT IN NELSON. CENTRAL SCHOOL SUCCESS. "As, the result of the abolition of homework at the boys,’ central school the teachers and scholars! arle tar happier, and are working more than ever in sympathy, co-operation, and harmony,” stated the headmaster, Mr A. Douglas, when information was-sought as, to how the new system, introduced about two months ago as; an experiment, was working. He said that teachers lost moire vitality in hearing ill-prepared home lessors than, perhaps, in the rest of the work of the day, and had decided that homework was a decided "wash-out.” He was that the scheme would prove a success, and lead to- a different class of teacher, One who would be helping, encouraging, showing and instructing, and bearing the responsibility of the work and getting the best out of. the- children by working with them sympathetically. . “If children can forget us from halfpast three in the afternoon until’ 9 o’clock next morning,” he said, “I think it will be a very good bit of forgetfulness. Such subjects, as spelling and reading, hitherto set to be prepared at home, are now prepared in the school under the supervision and with the help of the teacher, and with better results than even were obtained under the old system. About twenty minutes are devoted to, the, preparation of the 'reading of, say, the school journal, and it is found at the end of this period that the lesson is known and completed. In the past this time, and considerably more, was spent in testing out for malingerers and spending a more or le.s unpfofltable time.”

Asked what use was made of the time s.aved in the reading period, Mr Douglas said this was very important. The time was devoted to reading for enjoyment an some mornings, while on others the time was spent in reading for information in such subjects as history, geography, agriculture, or for literary appreciation of standard works. So far as the ‘central school is concerned, homework has been definitely abolished.