Teachers urged not to overburden parents – New Ross Standard

Having taught and been a CBS principal over a 43-year period, former Edmund Rice NS principal Brian MacMahon says teachers are doing a great job but need to consider the amount of homework they are giving parents to work with their children on, in some cases.

In an open letter to teachers sent to this newspaper Mr MacMahon, who retired in 2018, said: 'As a retired principal, I am very reluctant to pass judgement on the work that serving teachers are currently doing to keep their students as up to date as they can with their studies. However, listening to some teenagers and also to the opinions of child psychologists I would like to simply offer some food for thought.

'Anyone who worked with me when I was a primary school principal will know that I had very mixed views on the benefits of homework at the best of times. It has very limited educational value, especially at primary level. It is often very poorly designed and often consists of box ticking and space filling exercises and it often really stresses parents out when it involves maths and Irish they don't really understand or remember themselves.'

With families now more or less in lockdown, he is cautioning that teachers really need to be very careful about the type and amount of work they send home to their pupils. 'Principals need to attempt to regulate the flow of the work being sent. A secondary school first year pupil could have nine or more teachers inundating them with assignments and deadlines. I heard of two separate instances of pupils being set deadlines such as 'Midnight on Sunday' for assignments and then reminded by e-mail on a Saturday that the assignment hadn't been received. I've heard of pupils being asked to scan items, to print items, etc. Has every home got the appropriate tools to do that?

'I hear that the gardai have noticed an increase in call-outs for domestic violence and that Childline calls are on the increase. This is only anecdotal evidence I admit, but if it's true, then we have serious issues bubbling up other than the coronavirus.'

Suggested alternatives for teachers would be: creating podcasts of lessons; uploading video lessons on YouTube; creating blogs where pupils can log on for discussions; sharing video links to educational sites and broadcasts; using programmes such as 'zoom' to hold group discussions with the pupils online, etc, he said.

'I understand that most Leaving Cert students seem to be very well catered for and mostly seem to be working away. They will also need social interaction with their peers. Their mental health is hugely important at this point in time. A very wise man once asked a group of school principals the question: "Why do children come to school? And we all gave the predictable answers such as "They come to school to learn etc." "No", he said. "Children come to school to be with their friends." The point he was making was that the socialisation skills that children learn at school are hugely important and that interacting with other children is a hugely important part of their lives. Allowing them to be children is very important.'

He said now that children are really missing seeing their friends, and parents are too, it is important that schools do not add to the pressure that families are now under.

'By all means keep in touch, provide assignments and advice. But remember that education isn't about filling vessels. It's about opening minds. It's a process and not a product. Please be conscious of the many difficulties being faced within homes at this point in time and maybe just take the foot off the pedal a little? Pupils will often learn more from what you do than from what you say.'

'Pupils will very quickly catch up on missed classes when we get back to normal. This health crisis is a mental health crisis for many.

It's a difficult time for teachers too,' he said.

'Congratulations to all the teachers who are doing fantastic work. You need to look after yourselves too! Don't feel under so much pressure to achieve results in such difficult times as these. It's up to school principals to set the tone in each school and the Department of Education has a role to play as well in moderating expectations. This is new territory for everyone. Let's all continually reflect on the actions we are taking each day. Keeping all our children healthy and in a positive frame of mind should be the focus. Many schools are doing exactly that, especially at primary level. I understand that there are higher expectations and increased pressure at secondary level and that is where most of my concern lies. As stated at the outset, this letter is simply by way of offering some food for thought from one who is retired and has all the time in the world to sit and think.'

New Ross Standard

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Teachers urged not to overburden parents - New Ross Standard