DO WE NEED
HOLIDAY
HOMEWORK?
Panel of Principals
is a knowledge circle
that taps into the
collective wisdom
of educators and
academicians
Two of the country’s leading educators weighin on the importance of marks in learning
“As with all assignments, I believe that
holiday homework should be meaningful for
students, give genuine feedback and build on
prior learning, enabling them to scaffold their
learning.
“Unfortunately, too many instances of holiday homework are heavily
reliant on parents and are completed in the last days of the vacation.
Teachers, too, struggle to grade the projects or reams of worksheets
and, as a consequence, the student comes to believe that this was
not, nor will ever be, a worthy use of their time.
“My most memorable holiday homework assignments:
“At 11: I had to draw and colour in a map of the recently dissolved
USSR during which I learned so much, primarily because my
parents insisted that I complete the assignments myself.
Verdict: The maps were untidy but the learning was spectacular.
“At 13: I had to write one review for the book from which I derived
the most meaning. Verdict: I read nearly 20 books that summer
and decided that both The Count of Monte Cristo and Great
Expectations will always be the greatest books that could ever
be written.
“And, finally, to teachers: Please give holiday homework only
if you believe that this is going to be a more productive use of their
time than playing outside from morning to evening, travelling and
discovering just how wonderful the world is because that is never
a “waste of time.”
Arjun Rao
Principal, Oakridge International School, Hyderabad“Why do teachers assign holiday
homework? In a nutshell, they
want their pupils to remember and
retain what they’ve studied thus
far, much like parents, who want
their children to keep in touch with
what has happened in school. Parents also like having
their young ones occupied through the long breaks,
and many believe that constant revision is the
best way to learn.
“But, what about the kids themselves? I can’t think of
many who would want to be doing what they think of
as ‘boring’ stuff, that ‘ruins their holidays’.
“However, I do believe that, with the right kind of
homework assignments, the goals and expectations
of all three groups – teachers, parents and children –
can be achieved. It’s as simple as adopting a ‘learning
through doing’ model.
“Homework that is relevant,
interesting and engaging will increase
a child’s understanding and permanent
learning, through observation,
experimentation and even interactions
with peers.
“I have noticed that children enjoy learning, and retain
information far more when they can apply it in the real
world. It could be something as simple as applying
math skills to a visit to the neighbourhood market, and
documenting their visit in a scrapbook, or watching
films and reading books about a subject matter, rather
than completing assignments.”Soniya Lalla
Early childhood education specialist,
who helps schools across India set up their pre-primary
and primary divisions, and former principal| PANEL OF PRINCIPALSOPINIONSJune 2017 8