Colman Noctor: Why do we ask children to do homework?
There's no evidence of homework having any beneficial impact on primary school. So why are we pursuing it?
Pandemic anxieties in my therapy room have largely been replaced with the worries of a pending nuclear war. But there has also been a return of some old concerns. One such theme that has come up this week, possibly due to the improvement in the weather, has been the thorny issue of homework. This coincided with Taoiseach Micheál Martin announcing a 'no homework day' from Washington on March 24.
The topic of homework is one of the most common themes in child therapy. It's in the top five, alongside bullying, peer relationship difficulties, family conflict and academic/sporting pressure.
