In the days when I was at school it was generally accepted that comprehensive state education was child-centred while grammars and the private sector were obsessed with results.A top school has radically cut the amount of homework it sets, saying too much will put pupils off learning.
Tiffin boys' school, in Kingston, south west London, has limited homework to 40 minutes per night, saying pupils should have more time for their own interests.
While there are still private schools that are exam factories, this report confirms my impression that this situation has largely been turned on its head.
As I understand it, the Tiffin School is in the state sector - but only just.
When I was looking at schools in 1991 we looked at two private schools.
ReplyDeleteOne was really oriented around the children, the other seemed obsessed with exam results.
I went to the former (which was also co-ed), ironically it had better exam results most of the time...
(the latter school also assumed I must be applying for the other local private school, I guess most children were though).
On the news, it said it was down from 3 hours a night! What? Can that be right? You were lucky to get me doing half an hour (20 years ago...).
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