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President of Ireland calls on schools to stop giving pupils homework
Children should be able to use time at home ‘for other creative things’, says michael d higgins, article bookmarked.
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Schools should strive not to give pupils homework where possible, the president of Ireland has suggested.
In an utterance likely to be seized upon by children for years to come, in classrooms far beyond the shores of the Emerald Isle, Michael D Higgins argued that school should not extend beyond the final bell.
“Time in school … should get finished in school,” the president told pupils at a school in County Tipperary this week during a broadcast for RTE.
Children should be able to use their time at home “for other creative things”, Mr Higgens continued.
Reiterating his point, the 81-year-old president added: “I think as much as possible that [homework] should happen in the school and I think it’s more relaxed than it used to be.”
Mr Higgins was asked for his thoughts on homework by pupils at St Kevin’s National School in Littleton, during a broadcast celebrating the 20th anniversary of RTE’s children’s news show – viewers of which sent their questions in for the president.
Asked if he had a message for the children of Ireland, the president, who has been in office since 2011, said: “Stay curious about everything. Make sure you don’t miss the joy of getting information.
“And I think an important thing is friendship, and that nobody is left without friendship.”
Suggesting that children of Ireland place “great value” on friendship, Mr Higgins lamented that this makes it even more tragic when there is an “abuse of phones for bullying”.
Mr Higgins revealed that, having started school himself at the age of seven, his love for reading soon saw him decide that he wanted to be a teacher – and he attended teacher training as an adult before going on to spend 25 years in Ireland’s lower house of parliament Dail Eireann.
It is not the first time that Mr Higgins has offered his thoughts on children’s education. Last year, on his 80th birthday, Mr Higgins suggested that yoga should be taught in schools across Ireland.
Research suggests that Mr Higgins’ is far from alone in his views on homework, at least in the UK.
A 2018 survey of parents by British education regulator Ofsted found that more than a third did not think homework was helpful for primary school children.
Homework is a “huge cause of stress” for many families – and for children with special educational needs or disabilities it can be detrimental to their health, Ofsted was told.
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The President Of Ireland Wants To Get Rid Of Homework & Honestly, He's Onto Something
“The time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school.”
Do you know who doesn’t like homework? Kids — and certain presidents. In an impassioned plea to the people of his nation, President Michael D. Higgins has called for a ban on homework across Ireland. And if small children were given the right to vote tomorrow, I feel fairly certain I know whose name they would be supporting on the ballot.
Higgins, who is himself a former Arts Minister of Ireland and therefore, in my opinion, knows a little about the subject, spoke to Ireland’s news program for kids RTE’s news2day at St. Kevin’s School in Tipperary about a number of subjects. What he wanted to be when he was a kid himself. What was his favorite sport in school, which he said was handball. When did he decide he wanted to be president. And then, the mutual bane of their existence — homework.
“I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things,” Higgins told his interviewers, four children hanging on his every word.
While it remains unclear if Higgins has begun any official paperwork to ban homework, which would ironically be homework for him, his sentiment resonated with his many fans. Children and social media users alike in fact. One person tweeted their appreciation of the fact that Higgins was “running his nation like the little Hobbit he is.”
Another social media user wondered if Higgins was really a “forest sprite.”
This social media user found the idea inspiring , writing, “We need a national conversation on how to bring more play, creativity, imagination, movement and positive experiences into our children’s lives. Banning homework would be a great first step.”
Higgins ended his interview with a message to children about the importance of fostering their friendships and telling them to “stay curious about everything and I think it’s important to make sure you don’t miss the joy of sharing information. And I think an important thing is friendship and to make sure that there’s no one left without friendship and that people belong. And we will all do individual things... but I think friendships that you make will in fact always be great memories and that is so important.”
I think he’s on to something.
President Michael D Higgins says homework should be banned in Ireland
The country’s favourite leader believes that school activities should end at the school gate and students should be encouraged to engage in more creative pursuits
- 10:39, 21 JAN 2023
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President Michael D Higgins has called for homework to be banned.
The country’s favourite leader has given hope to a new generation of students that the bane of their afterschool evenings could be scrapped. President Higgins argues that this would make time for young people to engage in more creative pursuits outside school hours.
The former Arts Minister believes that school activities should end at the school gate. He was speaking to RTE’s news2day current affairs and news programme for children on the occasion of the programme’s 20th birthday.
Read more: Children being 'corrupted' by drug dealing situation in Oliver Bond flats, Dail told
When asked what his opinion of homework President Higgins said: “I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things.”
To mark the show’s two decades on air, students from St Kevin’s National School, Littleton, County Tipperary put questions from RTÉ news2day viewers to President Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin. In a wide-ranging interview, the children asked the President questions like, what was your favourite sport when you were in school?
When you were nine years old what did you want to be? And when did you decide you wanted to be President?
The students also asked the President about his dogs, his official trips abroad, his favourite subject in school, differences between now and when he was a child and his favourite book. The President also spoke to the children about his love of handball and the importance of friendship in their lives.
RTÉ news2day will broadcast some of the President’s interview as part of Friday afternoon’s birthday celebrations at 4.20pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ News channel and the full interview will be available later on Friday evening on the RTÉ Player. In a message to the children of Ireland and the viewers of RTÉ news2day, President Michael D. Higgins gave this advice: “To stay curious about everything and I think it’s important to make sure you don’t miss the joy of sharing information.
“And I think an important thing is friendship and to make sure that there’s no one left without friendship and that people belong. And we will all do individual things... but I think friendships that you make will in fact always be great memories and that is so important. And also have the courage to stand your own ground and let other children be allowed the space of standing their ground too because none of us are the same.
“We’re all unique but at the same time we have a lot going for us.” President Higgins also encouraged the children of Ireland to speak the Irish language.
He encouraged them to speak Irish in a fun way and to feel free to use whatever bits of the language that they have.
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President Michael D Higgins calls for school homework to be scrapped
President Michael D Higgins stopped by St Kevin's National School in Tipperary where the pupils interviewed him about his dogs, his time in school and his view on homework
- 15:01, 21 JAN 2023
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President of Ireland Michael D Higgins has said he supports the scrapping of homework.
He addressed students of St Kevin's National School, Littleton, Co Tipperary, this week in an episode of RTE's news2day programme.
The President said that schoolwork should be completed in school time so children can use time after school to pursue more creative activities.
Read more: Ireland weather: Met Eireann pin point the end of the cold snap as temperatures skyrocket next week
“People should be able to use their time for other creative things,” he said.
"I think as much as possible that [homework] should happen in the school and I think it’s more relaxed than it used to be.”
He said that not all lessons are learned from books, but that the responsible use of phones is something that he hopes the younger generation will be acutely aware of.
The children of Ireland "have a great value of friendships" and this makes it even more tragic when there is an "abuse of phones for bullying", the President said.
The pupils were also curious about some of the other residents of Aras an Uachtaran - dogs Brod and Misneach.
"He's probably a very famous dog now," said President Higgins of Brod. "He will be 11 in February, which is a very good age for a Bernese Mountain dog and Bród is wonderful.
"He came here at six weeks old, so he's lived all of his life at the Áras..
As for Misneach, he said: "He came during Covid and because I couldn't collect him because of the ban on inter-county travel, he didn't come to me until he was five months old.
"He also didn't have a good journey here, so he's actually shy. He's a beautiful dog."
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President of Ireland calls for homework to be banned
President of Ireland Michael D Higgins. (Source: Getty)
The President of Ireland has made his thoughts known about homework, saying it should be left at the gate and children should be able to use their leisure time for "creative things".
Speaking to RTE’s news2day - a current affairs and news programme for children, Michael D Higgins answered questions on a wide range of topics, the Irish Mirror reports .
When pressed on his views about homework Higgins said: “I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things.”
Higgins, a former arts minister, told children “to stay curious about everything and I think it’s important to make sure you don’t miss the joy of sharing information.
“And I think an important thing is friendship and to make sure that there’s no one left without friendship and that people belong. And we will all do individual things... but I think friendships that you make will in fact always be great memories and that is so important.
“And also have the courage to stand your own ground and let other children be allowed the space of standing their ground too because none of us are the same.
“We’re all unique but at the same time we have a lot going for us.”
Higgins also encouraged the children of Ireland to speak the Irish language.
While the role of president in Ireland is mainly a ceremonial one, it does have some sway over how the government operates.
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Banning homework: Taoiseach says schoolchildren get too much homework but doesn't call for ban
Varadkar said he'd have to speak to Minister for Education, Norma Foley, about the matter
- 15:07, 30 JAN 2023
- Updated 13:12, 20 JUL 2023
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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he will talk to Minister for Education, Norma Foley, on the issue of getting rid of homework.
Varadkar on homework
While Varadkar didn't say he supported call to ban homework for schoolchildren, he did tell Newstalk that he felt some children get "too much" homework.
Asked about the homework debate today, Varadkar said he'd have to speak to Foley about it.
"We haven't had a chance to discuss it," he said.
Varadkar added that he "definitely" think kids have "too much homework".
"You could have a long day in class, get home in the early evening and then face three hours of homework.
"I remember that when I was a kid, staying up very late to do homework.
"I think there's definitely a place for homework but we need to make sure that there isn't too much of it."
The debate was sparked by President Michael D Higgins saying he was in favour of getting rid of homework.
Support for banning homework
Speaking on RTÉ last week, Higgins argued that getting rid of homework would allow young people more time to engage in creative pursuits outside of school hours.
The president was asked for his thoughts on homework and responded that he wasn't in favour of it.
"I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things."
When Varadkar was asked if he minded Higgins making a public comment on homework, the Taoiseach responded that the president's comments are "always welcome".
School policy on homework
Minister for Education, Norma Foley, has said she won't debate the homework ban issue with President Michael D Higgins.
A little over a week ago, Higgins told the nation's children that he was against schoolwork continuing beyond the school gates, in an address broadcast on RTÉ's news2day.
Foley said it was up to schools to decide on their homework policy.
She told The Irish Mirror that she wasn't going to get into it with the president.
"It would not be appropriate for a government minister to engage in public debate with the office of the president," she said.
"Currently schools are free to have their own policy on homework and these policies are created in conjunction with senior management and staff, the boards of management, parents and the pupils.
"Schools are in of themselves places where creative pursuits are cultivated, nurtured and encouraged and that creativity may also be reflected in homework."
In a recent poll, it was revealed that Irish Mirror readers were overwhelmingly in favour of banning homework, with 98 per cent of readers voting in favour of a ban.
In a landslide decision, 57,440 readers voted yes, while just 1,211 voted no.
Benefits of homework
Minister Foley recently said that her department doesn't "issue any guidelines relating to homework being given in schools.
"It is a matter for each school, at local level, to arrive at its own homework policy".
It followed a question from Fine Gael's Neale Richmond who asked if research has been carried out by her department into the benefits of ending the provision of homework for primary school pupils.
He told The Irish Mirror that children should be involved in conversations about their schools homework policy.
Minister Richmond said: "I submitted the Parliamentary Question following a visit to one of my local primary schools.
"The pupils were genuinely interested in the policy relating to homework going forward and I agreed it's an important discussion to involve pupils in."
Foley told her government colleague that the Department of Education has not commissioned research on the matter.
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President Michael D Higgins says homework should be banned in Ireland
President Michael D Higgins has called for homework to be banned.
The country’s favourite leader has given hope to a new generation of students that the bane of their afterschool evenings could be scrapped. President Higgins argues that this would make time for young people to engage in more creative pursuits outside school hours.
The former Arts Minister believes that school activities should end at the school gate. He was speaking to RTE’s news2day current affairs and news programme for children on the occasion of the programme’s 20th birthday.
Read more: Children being 'corrupted' by drug dealing situation in Oliver Bond flats, Dail told
When asked what his opinion of homework President Higgins said: “I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things.”
To mark the show’s two decades on air, students from St Kevin’s National School, Littleton, County Tipperary put questions from RTÉ news2day viewers to President Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin. In a wide-ranging interview, the children asked the President questions like, what was your favourite sport when you were in school?
When you were nine years old what did you want to be? And when did you decide you wanted to be President?
The students also asked the President about his dogs, his official trips abroad, his favourite subject in school, differences between now and when he was a child and his favourite book. The President also spoke to the children about his love of handball and the importance of friendship in their lives.
RTÉ news2day will broadcast some of the President’s interview as part of Friday afternoon’s birthday celebrations at 4.20pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ News channel and the full interview will be available later on Friday evening on the RTÉ Player. In a message to the children of Ireland and the viewers of RTÉ news2day, President Michael D. Higgins gave this advice: “To stay curious about everything and I think it’s important to make sure you don’t miss the joy of sharing information.
“And I think an important thing is friendship and to make sure that there’s no one left without friendship and that people belong. And we will all do individual things... but I think friendships that you make will in fact always be great memories and that is so important. And also have the courage to stand your own ground and let other children be allowed the space of standing their ground too because none of us are the same.
“We’re all unique but at the same time we have a lot going for us.” President Higgins also encouraged the children of Ireland to speak the Irish language.
He encouraged them to speak Irish in a fun way and to feel free to use whatever bits of the language that they have.
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Norma Foley won't debate homework with President Michael Higgins after his call for it to be banned
Minister Foley finally broke her silence on the matter last night when she told the Irish Mirror that she was not going to get into it with the President.
- 06:00, 26 JAN 2023
- Updated 09:54, 26 JAN 2023
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Education Minister Norma Foley is refusing to debate the homework ban issue with Michael D Higgins after the President called for schoolwork outside of school hours to be scrapped.
Instead, she said it is up to schools to decide homework policy, which is at odds with the President’s call for schoolwork to be left at the school gate.
The controversial comments, made on RTE’s news2day children’s news programme, have had the country’s students, teachers and parents debating the issue since the remarks were made last Friday by the President.
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She said: “It would not be appropriate for a Government Minister to engage in public debate with the office of the President.
“Currently schools are free to have their own policy on homework and these policies are created in conjunction with senior management and staff, the boards of management, parents and the pupils.
“Schools are in of themselves places where creative pursuits are cultivated, nurtured and encouraged and that creativity may also be reflected in homework.”
Meanwhile, a Government Minister has said that it is “important” to include children in discussions about homework policies in schools.
It comes days after President Higgins’ call for homework to be banned at home and for all work to stay in the classroom.
Irish Mirror readers were also overwhelmingly in favour of banning homework, with 98% of our readers in favour.
In a landslide decision, 57,440 readers voted yes, while just 1,211 voted no.
In an interview with RTÉ’s news2day, President Higgins said that he believed that time at home should be spent doing more creative activities,
He said: “I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things."
Minister Foley recently said that her Department does “not issue any guidelines relating to homework being given in schools.
“It is a matter for each school, at local level, to arrive at its own homework policy”.
It followed a question from Fine Gael Minister of State Neale Richmond who asked if research has been carried out by her Department into the benefits of ending the provision of homework for primary school pupils.
He told the Irish Mirror that children should be involved in conversations about their schools homework policy.
Minister Richmond said: “I submitted the Parliamentary Question following a visit to one of my local primary schools.
“The pupils were genuinely interested in the policy relating to homework going forward and I agreed it’s an important discussion to involve pupils in.”
Minister Foley told her Government colleague that the Department of Education has not commissioned research on the matter.
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Pencils Down? French Plan Would End Homework
Eleanor Beardsley
As part of an effort to overhaul education in France, President Francois Hollande is proposing the elimination of homework. Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
As part of an effort to overhaul education in France, President Francois Hollande is proposing the elimination of homework.
In the name of equality, the French government has proposed doing away with homework in elementary and junior high school. French President Francois Hollande argues that homework penalizes children with difficult home situations, but even the people whom the proposal is supposed to help disagree.
It's 5:30 p.m. and getting dark outside, as kids pour out of Gutenberg Elementary School in Paris 15th arrondissement. Parents and other caregivers wait outside to collect their children. Aissata Toure, 20, is here with her younger sister in tow. She's come to pick up her 7-year-old son. Toure says she's against Hollande's proposal to do away with homework.
"It's not a good idea at all because even at a young age, having individual work at home helps build maturity and responsibility," she says, "and if it's something they didn't quite get in school, the parents can help them. Homework is important for a kid's future."
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Toure lives with her son, her little sister and her mother in public housing near the school. On the surface, it seems just the sort of family environment that might put a child at a disadvantage. Yet Toure says she sits down with her son every night, even though she's in law school and has her own studies.
"Poor people want homework because they know that school is very important, and the only chance — the only possibility — they have to give their children a better life is if their children succeed at school," says Emmanuel Davidenkoff, editor-in-chief of L'Etudiant , a magazine and website devoted to French school and education.
An Educational Divide
Davidenkoff says the Socialist government doesn't seem to understand the concerns of the working and middle class and in the name of equality, got it all wrong.
President Francois Hollande argues that homework puts poor children at a disadvantage, but others argue the extra work is needed to help those students succeed. Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
President Francois Hollande argues that homework puts poor children at a disadvantage, but others argue the extra work is needed to help those students succeed.
"Mostly, wealthy people don't want homework because when the kids are at home, they make sports or dance or music. They go to the museums, to the theater. So they have this access to culture, which is very important," he says. "In poor families, they don't have that, so the only link they have with culture and school is homework."
Elisabeth Zeboulon sits in her office over the playground. Today, she's the principal at a private, bilingual school in Paris, but she spent most of her career in French public schools. Zeboulon says the centralized French education system doesn't leave much room for trying different teaching methods.
"The kids are very different from one place to another, from one school to another, and we don't have much way of adapting," she says. "And whenever they start saying, 'Well in this place we could do this, in that place we could do that,' then you have a lot of people coming up and saying, 'Look, it's not equal.' "
Infusing Happiness
Cutting homework is just part of an effort aimed at making primary and secondary school a happier, more relaxed place for children. The school week will be lengthened — currently, French children have Wednesdays off — but the school day will be shortened. Kids get out so late here there's no time for extracurricular activities. Basically, French school is a grind, says Peter Gumbel, author of a scathing book on the education system in France.
"There's an enormous amount of pressure, and it's no fun whatsoever. There's no sport or very little sport, very little art, very little music. Kids don't have a good time at all," he says. "And it's not about building self-confidence and encouraging them to go out and discover the world. It's much more about, sit down and we'll fill your empty heads with our rather dull and old-fashioned knowledge."
There's another big reason the French government is making changing school policy a top priority, Gumbel says.
"The French are discovering — to their horror — that their performance internationally has been declining over the last 10 years. The French actually are performing [worse] than the Americans in reading and science," he says.
This is a huge shock, Gumbel says, to a country that long considered itself an education pioneer.
IMAGES
COMMENTS
President Michael D Higgins (Image: Niall Carson/PA Wire) President Michal D Higgins has called for homework to be banned. The country's favourite leader has given hope to a new generation of ...
Reiterating his point, the 81-year-old president added: "I think as much as possible that [homework] should happen in the school and I think it's more relaxed than it used to be." Recommended
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Read More: President Higgins calls for homework to be banned in Ireland We asked "Should homework be banned?", which was answered with a 98% majority, Yes. In a landslide decision, 57,440 readers ...
President Michael D Higgins Bloody Sunday speech 2022. President of Ireland Michael D Higgins has said he supports the scrapping of homework. He addressed students of St Kevin's National School, Littleton, Co Tipperary, this week in an episode of RTE's news2day programme. The President said that schoolwork should be completed in school time so ...
President Michal D Higgins has called for homework to be banned.The country's favourite leader has given hope to a new generation of students that the bane o...
His comments come just weeks after President Michael D Higgins called for homework to be banned. The Fine Gael leader told Newstalk's Pat Kenny Show that he will now talk to Education Minister ...
The President of Ireland has made his thoughts known about homework, saying it should be left at the gate and children should be able to use their leisure time for "creative things". Speaking to RTE's news2day - a current affairs and news programme for children, Michael D Higgins answered questions on a wide range of topics, the Irish Mirror ...
Irish Daily Mail. Children back the President on banning homework (Surprise, surprise!) 2023-03-14 - By Brian Mahon and Ken Foxe [email protected]. PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins provoked a flurry of letters to the Education Minister's office after suggesting that homework should be banned, documents released under the Freedom of Information ...
Pushes for education beyond the classroom, emphasizes language learning and self-expression.. January 24, 2023 - Ireland's President Michael Higgins is calling for an end to homework.. When pressed on his views during an interview with RTE's news2day - a current affairs and news program for children, Higgins said: "I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the ...
President calls for homework ban 2023-01-21 - BY FERGHAL BLANEY Political Editor news@irishmirror.ie PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins has called for homework to be banned. The country's favourite leader has given hope to a new generation of students that the bane of their afterschool evenings could be scrapped. President Higgins argues that ...
Banning homework: Norma Foley won't debate homework issue with President Michael D. Higgins "We haven't had a chance to discuss it," he said. Varadkar added that he "definitely" think kids have ...
President Michael D Higgins has called for homework to be banned. The country's favourite leader has given hope to a new generation of students that the bane of their afterschool evenings could be scrapped. President Higgins argues that this would make time for young people to engage in more creative pursuits outside school hours.
Hello, the president of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, plans to ban homework to allow students' creative pursuits.Subscribe to our channel and turn on notifica...
Education Minister Norma Foley is refusing to debate the homework ban issue with Michael D Higgins after the President called for schoolwork outside of school hours to be scrapped.
President of Ireland calls for homework to be banned | Stuff.co.nzHow would you feel if your homework was cancelled for good? That's what the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, suggested in ...
Attempts to ban homework aren't new. In 2012, President Francoise Hollande of France proposed banning homework for all primary and middle school students, which was roundly ridiculed by The Wall ...
President Francois Hollande says the extra work penalizes students with difficult home situations, proposing doing away with homework in elementary and junior high schools. But others argue the ...