Cayley, a mother from Arizona, USA, didn’t beat around the bush. She explained to her son’s school that he simply wouldn’t do his homework. She justifies herself in a TikTok video which set the social network on fire.
According to ViceCayley explains that her 5-year-old son, who attends a charter school (the equivalent of a public school, but in the United States), received a packet of 15-20 pages of homework (double-sided, of course) on the first day of school. Note: These pages were for the entire year, not the next day.
Cayley says that when faced with this mountain of homework, her son collapsed, overwhelmed with stress and anxiety. Without thinking twice, she sent an email to the teacher to express her displeasure, declaring that her son would not do anything with the pile of papers. She absolved him from doing any homework for the rest of the school year.
In her TikTok video, the mother says she strongly believes in separating work and home. She wants her son to be passionate about his work, not feel overwhelmed by it.
Her claim worked. Cayley’s reasoning was solid in the teacher’s eyes. What’s more, her words resonated and stirred, as the TikTok video has been viewed more than 250,000 times. It has also sparked a lot of discussion among both parents and teachers.
Scrolling through the comments, there is a staggering amount of responses, including from parents like Arizona’s mother who believe that homework in preschool is excessive. Many teachers also responded by sharing how much more attentive and curious students were in class once homework was eliminated from the curriculum.
A recurring debate
This movement against homework is not new. It is a debate that has been going on for years between parents and teachers. Although no research has proven the effectiveness of this homework, some theories suggest that it is not the homework itself that is the problem, but rather its content.
This same debate is also complicated, because students do not grow up in the same environments. Some young people are fortunate to have academic support outside of school, with resources and adults to help them, while others are faced with more difficult situations. Unfortunately, this disparity in family situations often creates inequalities after leaving the school environment.
As for Cayley, she posted another video in which she explains that the teacher heard her request and took steps to reduce her son’s homework. Now, the 15-20 pages are just one sheet, with more interactive instructions like creating a reading log.
Source: www.slate.fr
