One of the solutions to the problem could be the scrapping of compulsory homework for primary school pupils. 'I think a lot of homework is a waste of time,' Dr Mary Bousted, the ATL general-secretary told The Independent newspaper. 'It puts a huge amount of stress on disadvantaged children. Middle-class children can go home and get help from their parents to do their homework. Disadvantaged children do not necessarily have the extra learning support that the middle-class children have and consequently it doesn't tell you much about the relative abilities of different children.'
A spokesperson for the Department for Children, Schools and Families rejected claims that children were unhappy saying: 'For most children, 2008 is a great time to be a child. Most children are happy, most are achieving to a higher level than ever before, enjoying better health, more opportunities to travel, to engage in sport or cultural activities than was the case for any previous generation.'
March 2008
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