MrsDagboy

All you people out there with kids at school here in Oz, whats the situation with regards to homework? Our boys are in Year 1 & seem to have quite a bit of homework. Im not complaining in any way, shape or form, but I certainly dont remember getting homework when I was that young . One boy gets 10 mins of pencil work homework (copying letters, sentences, drawing a certain number of things & colouring them etc) 3 times a week plus a book to read each night & the other boy (different classes) gets a sheet with about 30 mins worth of work on it at the beginning of the week to be done by Friday, plus a book to read most nights.

Are there any other parents out there with kids in lower grades that got that much homework in Year 1 or is our school different?

debsy

Mrs D - I was really happy when I read how much homework the kids were getting
This is one of the reason we have decided to migrate to Oz. Our kids are 7 and 9. They go to school at 08.30 and return at 4.15pm. They then get home and have a minimum 2 hours of homeowrk perday. The eldest usually has more than that. The weekends are pretty bad as well with usually the whole of Saturday taken up with homework. Tonight my eldest also has extra lessons after school and whn she gets home there will be more homework.

Believe me, it is sad - they never have time to play - poor little things. Anyone would think they went to uni already.

Anyway, not long left now

MrsDagboy

Holy hell debsy!!! 2 hrs a DAY!?!?!?!??! :scared: :scared: :scared:

debsy

yes and believe me it causes so much trouble in our house as, as soon as they get home it is do your homework - have you done your homework and the poor kids want to chill out.

teach

All the staff at the the school should be shot debsy. I know that sounds harsh but we push kids to the limit every hour they are in school, then we pack them off with a book every night/week depending what level they are reading at. Plus a piece of literacy and numeracy twice a week that should take no more than 20 minutes. Children in Year 6 tend to get a bit more as they are studying for SAT's.
Children need time to be children, after being cooped up all day they want to play. I think the teachers at your school need to chill out themselves.

Sarah

debsy

They wont have to suffer it much longer Sarah as we are off later this summer.

Mrs D - how old are you kids? I wonder how much homework the kids of 9 & 7 get in Oz?

ABCDiamond

Mrs D
When my daughter was in year 1 in NSW, she had about 15 mins per night, this was reading and a spelling list. Then in Year 2 at her frst school in QLD, she had no homework, but when we changed school it became about 10-15 mins per night. Now in year 3, she seems to have about 15-20 mins per night, Reading, spelling and maths.

MrsDagboy

Debs, they are 6! But over here they turn 6 in year 1 which is the first year of school. They only started school 3 weeks ago & because their b/day is at the beginning of the school year they are one of the oldest in the class.

I doubt many 7 & 9 year olds get 2 hrs a day here!

MrsDagboy

ABC, just out of curiosity was the NSW school state or private? I know she went state & then private when you moved up here.

Im wondering if its more to do with the individual teachers/the individual schools/ state vs private or just a general thing.

debsy

ooh they will be pleased

ABCDiamond

It was a private school in NSW, one of the lower priced Christian ones.

I noticed you said that yours are now 6 in year 1, and that it's their first year of school. In NSW they do a full year before year one. So my daughter is now in her 4th year of full time schooling, even though year 3
In her kindergarten year, her homework consisted of spelling from a list of words, starting with 2 letter words, and they could do as little or as much as they liked.

MrsDagboy

ABC yep, the schooling system is different all over Oz, in NSW I believe they actually do 13 years of schooling here in Qld its only 12. They start school at 5 here in Year 1 (turn 6 in that year) & finish turning 17 in year 12.

Qld has preschool, which is only 5 days a fortnight but isnt compulsory anyway.

dmf

I have twins in year 3 and in separate classes. One gets a sheet on a Monday with her homework for the week - no more than 10 minutes per night although she does the whole lot on a Monday night. The other one has 5 words to write out 3 times and make up 3 sentences - same thing every night just different words. They also both have to do 10 minutes reading each day (or at least 3 times a week). So far this year the amount of homework is the same as what they had in year 2.

Dawn

jayr

My 6 year old now in Year 2 had loads in Year 1. Drawing letters, flling in the missing letter in D-G and C-T, some word wall thing plus reading every night - its all a bit too much if you ask me

jinxnkay

does anyone know if there are private schools or pre schools that take children before the age of six full time? my son started full time compulsary school when he was 4years 3 months and he really was ready for it. its not that i'm trying to get rid of my 4 year old daughter but she also seems ready for school if we were staying here she would be starting in september age 4 1/2.
we are moving to brisbane in april.