banned homework ireland

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Students and parents plead case for homework ban

School children and parents pleaded with the Minister for Education Norma Foley to step in and introduce a homework ban.

In letters to the minister, kids wrote about how they were being forced to give up hobbies because they were given so much work to do after school.

The correspondence followed comments by President Michael D Higgins in January that a ban on homework should be considered.

In one letter, a school child wrote about how seven hours of school each day was “plenty of education” and that more work on top was unnecessary.

“I do not ask for homework to be completely banned but for it to be reduced to a certain limit. Otherwise, if there is a constant build-up of homework daily, it can cause stress and even a lack of exercise which will affect a person’s well-being.”

Another said they felt homework was a “waste of time” and that a ban should be introduced.

They wrote: “Kids should be doing more creative things with their time after school. Many kids have had to stop doing hobbies they have because of it.

“It is a burden to parents, kids, and teachers [and] so for the above reasons, I think you should BAN HOMEWORK!”

Homework annoys teachers

One hand-written letter, decorated with a Minnie Mouse bow, said homework was “annoying for teachers and pupils”.

“I play soccer and love writing stories, but because of homework, I have no time for doing these things. For teachers, it gives them more copies to correct and they have to go through the trouble of deciding what [homework] to give.”

A secondary school student said that if “sleeping isn’t for school” then “work isn’t for home”.

They explained how they did between one and two hours of homework every evening after school and sometimes more.

“When I would finish, there would be barely any time for me to relax before I had to go to bed to get enough sleep to get up in the morning,” said their letter.

“As I’m sure you’re aware, our president Michael D Higgins also thinks that homework should be banned so if you don’t want to listen to me, listen to our President.”

Another suggested there could at least be a compromise so that students would not be given homework for over the weekend.

“[This would relieve] students of mental stress,” they said.

Help parents

One young student said they were left with no time to help their parents, or to learn how to cook or do other activities around the house.

They said: “We all do activities like swimming, dance, and all other sports. It’s hard work and it’s stressful and it’s unfair.”

A single parent also wrote in to explain how one of their children was getting two hours of written homework every day.

They said: “We need time to teach them life skills such as sewing, cooking, how to work the washing machine, change their own bed sheets and personal care.

“These teachings are very hard for parents with zero [time] left in the evenings. There is no time for them to spend with siblings and parents because they are so tired.”

In responses, the Department of Education told the letter writers that homework policy was not within its powers.

In emails, they said: “The Department does not issue direct guidelines relating to homework being given in schools. It is a matter for each school, at local level, to arrive at its own homework policy.

“In keeping with good practice, the process of drafting a homework policy should involve consultation with teachers, parents, and students.

“However, the Department does acknowledge that homework can play an important part in helping pupils prepare for forthcoming class work and in reinforcing work already covered during class time.”

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President Michael D Higgins calls for school homework to be scrapped

President Michael D Higgins stopped by St Kevin's National School in Tipperary where the pupils interviewed him about his dogs, his time in school and his view on homework

• 15:01, 21 JAN 2023

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President of Ireland Michael D Higgins has said he supports the scrapping of homework.

He addressed students of St Kevin's National School, Littleton, Co Tipperary, this week in an episode of RTE's news2day programme.

The President said that schoolwork should be completed in school time so children can use time after school to pursue more creative activities.

Read more: Ireland weather: Met Eireann pin point the end of the cold snap as temperatures skyrocket next week

“People should be able to use their time for other creative things,” he said.

"I think as much as possible that [homework] should happen in the school and I think it’s more relaxed than it used to be.”

He said that not all lessons are learned from books, but that the responsible use of phones is something that he hopes the younger generation will be acutely aware of.

The children of Ireland "have a great value of friendships" and this makes it even more tragic when there is an "abuse of phones for bullying", the President said.

The pupils were also curious about some of the other residents of Aras an Uachtaran - dogs Brod and Misneach.

"He's probably a very famous dog now," said President Higgins of Brod. "He will be 11 in February, which is a very good age for a Bernese Mountain dog and Bród is wonderful.

"He came here at six weeks old, so he's lived all of his life at the Áras..

As for Misneach, he said: "He came during Covid and because I couldn't collect him because of the ban on inter-county travel, he didn't come to me until he was five months old.

"He also didn't have a good journey here, so he's actually shy. He's a beautiful dog."

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President Michael D Higgins says homework should be banned in Ireland

The country’s favourite leader believes that school activities should end at the school gate and students should be encouraged to engage in more creative pursuits

• 10:39, 21 JAN 2023

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President Michael D Higgins has called for homework to be banned.

The country’s favourite leader has given hope to a new generation of students that the bane of their afterschool evenings could be scrapped. President Higgins argues that this would make time for young people to engage in more creative pursuits outside school hours.

The former Arts Minister believes that school activities should end at the school gate. He was speaking to RTE’s news2day current affairs and news programme for children on the occasion of the programme’s 20th birthday.

Read more: Children being 'corrupted' by drug dealing situation in Oliver Bond flats, Dail told

When asked what his opinion of homework President Higgins said: “I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things.”

To mark the show’s two decades on air, students from St Kevin’s National School, Littleton, County Tipperary put questions from RTÉ news2day viewers to President Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin. In a wide-ranging interview, the children asked the President questions like, what was your favourite sport when you were in school?

When you were nine years old what did you want to be? And when did you decide you wanted to be President?

The students also asked the President about his dogs, his official trips abroad, his favourite subject in school, differences between now and when he was a child and his favourite book. The President also spoke to the children about his love of handball and the importance of friendship in their lives.

RTÉ news2day will broadcast some of the President’s interview as part of Friday afternoon’s birthday celebrations at 4.20pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ News channel and the full interview will be available later on Friday evening on the RTÉ Player. In a message to the children of Ireland and the viewers of RTÉ news2day, President Michael D. Higgins gave this advice: “To stay curious about everything and I think it’s important to make sure you don’t miss the joy of sharing information.

“And I think an important thing is friendship and to make sure that there’s no one left without friendship and that people belong. And we will all do individual things... but I think friendships that you make will in fact always be great memories and that is so important. And also have the courage to stand your own ground and let other children be allowed the space of standing their ground too because none of us are the same.

“We’re all unique but at the same time we have a lot going for us.” President Higgins also encouraged the children of Ireland to speak the Irish language.

He encouraged them to speak Irish in a fun way and to feel free to use whatever bits of the language that they have.

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Independent TV

Showing now | lifestyle.

Mary-Kate Findon | Saturday 21 January 2023 16:06 GMT

Irish president suggests schools should avoid setting children homework

Ireland's president has suggested that schools should avoid assigning children homework, leaving school at the gates.

Michael D Higgins shared his beliefs on the matter during a sit down with students that was broadcast on RTE.

"People should be able to use their time for other creative things," he told the children during his visit to Tipperary.

The 81-year-old also offered words of wisdom for the young people, urging them to "stay curious about everything."

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Ireland’s President Higgins calls for an end to homework, encourages creativity and meaningful friendships instead

Pushes for education beyond the classroom, emphasizes language learning and self-expression ..

January 24, 2023 – Ireland’s President Michael Higgins is calling for an end to homework.

When pressed on his views during an interview with RTE’s news2day – a current affairs and news program for children, Higgins said: “ I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things. ”

He also added “ I think it’s important to make sure you don’t miss the joy of sharing information. And I think an important thing is friendship and to make sure that there’s no one left without friendship and that people belong. And we will all do individual things… but I think friendships that you make will in fact always be great memories and that is so important. And also have the courage to stand your own ground and let other children be allowed the space of standing their ground too because none of us are the same. We’re all unique but at the same time we have a lot going for us .”

Furthermore, Higgins encouraged the children of Ireland to speak the Irish language.

While the role of president in Ireland is mainly a ceremonial one, it does have some sway over how the government operates.

Even though it remains unclear if Higgins has begun any official paperwork to ban homework, which would irony be homework for him, his sentiment resonated with his many fans.

Homework banned in Ireland? Are my student dreams coming true? According to IrishMirror, President Michael D Higgins has called for homework to be banned as he thinks students can engage in more creative pursuits outside school hours. pic.twitter.com/MLfXlAzAhN — Nare (@Nare33242443) January 24, 2023

President Higgins calls for homework to be banned. It’s such a pity the *head of state* has no actual power on matters. This is such a smart and wise idea. The usual brigade will be out against this, but its the right thing to do for young people https://t.co/Qub7fJnTAA — Dylan (@dylancongolf) January 20, 2023

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Banning homework: Taoiseach says schoolchildren get too much homework but doesn't call for ban

Varadkar said he'd have to speak to Minister for Education, Norma Foley, about the matter

• 15:07, 30 JAN 2023
• Updated 13:12, 20 JUL 2023

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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he will talk to Minister for Education, Norma Foley, on the issue of getting rid of homework.

Varadkar on homework

While Varadkar didn't say he supported call to ban homework for schoolchildren, he did tell Newstalk that he felt some children get "too much" homework.

Asked about the homework debate today, Varadkar said he'd have to speak to Foley about it.

"We haven't had a chance to discuss it," he said.

Varadkar added that he "definitely" think kids have "too much homework".

"You could have a long day in class, get home in the early evening and then face three hours of homework.

"I remember that when I was a kid, staying up very late to do homework.

"I think there's definitely a place for homework but we need to make sure that there isn't too much of it."

The debate was sparked by President Michael D Higgins saying he was in favour of getting rid of homework.

Support for banning homework

Speaking on RTÉ last week, Higgins argued that getting rid of homework would allow young people more time to engage in creative pursuits outside of school hours.

The president was asked for his thoughts on homework and responded that he wasn't in favour of it.

"I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things."

When Varadkar was asked if he minded Higgins making a public comment on homework, the Taoiseach responded that the president's comments are "always welcome".

School policy on homework

Minister for Education, Norma Foley, has said she won't debate the homework ban issue with President Michael D Higgins.

A little over a week ago, Higgins told the nation's children that he was against schoolwork continuing beyond the school gates, in an address broadcast on RTÉ's news2day.

Foley said it was up to schools to decide on their homework policy.

She told The Irish Mirror that she wasn't going to get into it with the president.

"It would not be appropriate for a government minister to engage in public debate with the office of the president," she said.

"Currently schools are free to have their own policy on homework and these policies are created in conjunction with senior management and staff, the boards of management, parents and the pupils.

"Schools are in of themselves places where creative pursuits are cultivated, nurtured and encouraged and that creativity may also be reflected in homework."

In a recent poll, it was revealed that Irish Mirror readers were overwhelmingly in favour of banning homework, with 98 per cent of readers voting in favour of a ban.

In a landslide decision, 57,440 readers voted yes, while just 1,211 voted no.

Benefits of homework

Minister Foley recently said that her department doesn't "issue any guidelines relating to homework being given in schools.

"It is a matter for each school, at local level, to arrive at its own homework policy".

It followed a question from Fine Gael's Neale Richmond who asked if research has been carried out by her department into the benefits of ending the provision of homework for primary school pupils.

He told The Irish Mirror that children should be involved in conversations about their schools homework policy.

Minister Richmond said: "I submitted the Parliamentary Question following a visit to one of my local primary schools.

"The pupils were genuinely interested in the policy relating to homework going forward and I agreed it's an important discussion to involve pupils in."

Foley told her government colleague that the Department of Education has not commissioned research on the matter.

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The President Of Ireland Wants To Get Rid Of Homework & Honestly, He's Onto Something

“The time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school.”

Do you know who doesn’t like homework? Kids — and certain presidents. In an impassioned plea to the people of his nation, President Michael D. Higgins has called for a ban on homework across Ireland. And if small children were given the right to vote tomorrow, I feel fairly certain I know whose name they would be supporting on the ballot.

Higgins, who is himself a former Arts Minister of Ireland and therefore, in my opinion, knows a little about the subject, spoke to Ireland’s news program for kids RTE’s news2day at St. Kevin’s School in Tipperary about a number of subjects. What he wanted to be when he was a kid himself. What was his favorite sport in school, which he said was handball. When did he decide he wanted to be president. And then, the mutual bane of their existence — homework.

“I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things,” Higgins told his interviewers, four children hanging on his every word.

While it remains unclear if Higgins has begun any official paperwork to ban homework, which would ironically be homework for him, his sentiment resonated with his many fans. Children and social media users alike in fact. One person tweeted their appreciation of the fact that Higgins was “running his nation like the little Hobbit he is.”

Another social media user wondered if Higgins was really a “forest sprite.”

This social media user found the idea inspiring , writing, “We need a national conversation on how to bring more play, creativity, imagination, movement and positive experiences into our children’s lives. Banning homework would be a great first step.”

Higgins ended his interview with a message to children about the importance of fostering their friendships and telling them to “stay curious about everything and I think it’s important to make sure you don’t miss the joy of sharing information. And I think an important thing is friendship and to make sure that there’s no one left without friendship and that people belong. And we will all do individual things... but I think friendships that you make will in fact always be great memories and that is so important.”

I think he’s on to something.

President of Ireland calls for homework to be banned

President of Ireland Michael D Higgins. (Source: Getty)

The President of Ireland has made his thoughts known about homework, saying it should be left at the gate and children should be able to use their leisure time for "creative things".

Speaking to RTE’s news2day - a current affairs and news programme for children, Michael D Higgins answered questions on a wide range of topics, the Irish Mirror reports .

When pressed on his views about homework Higgins said: “I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things.”

Higgins, a former arts minister, told children “to stay curious about everything and I think it’s important to make sure you don’t miss the joy of sharing information.

“And I think an important thing is friendship and to make sure that there’s no one left without friendship and that people belong. And we will all do individual things... but I think friendships that you make will in fact always be great memories and that is so important.

“And also have the courage to stand your own ground and let other children be allowed the space of standing their ground too because none of us are the same.

“We’re all unique but at the same time we have a lot going for us.”

Higgins also encouraged the children of Ireland to speak the Irish language.

While the role of president in Ireland is mainly a ceremonial one, it does have some sway over how the government operates.

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14th Mar 2023

Pupils and parents call on government to introduce homework ban

Kat O'Connor

Is it time to ban homework in Ireland?

Parents and pupils are calling on Minister for Education Norma Foley to ban homework in Ireland.

Many parents have voiced their concerns about the level of homework their kids get, but they’re taking it a step further by writing to the Education Minister.

Foley has received multiple letters from both children and parents about why a homework ban is needed.

According to The Irish Examiner , children revealed that homework is having a negative impact on their lives outside of school.

Many pupils believe they do enough work in school and stressed that there is little benefit to spending hours doing homework in the evenings.

One child wrote;

“I do not ask for homework to be completely banned but for it to be reduced to a certain limit. Otherwise, if there is a constant build-up of homework daily, it can cause stress and even a lack of exercise which will affect a person’s well-being.”

Many children told Foley that homework was “a waste of time”. Others said it was a “burden to parents, kids, and teachers.”

Varadkar said homework should not be banned completely

Both Leo Varadkar and Michael D. Higgins have expressed concerns about the amount of homework children are getting in Ireland.

However, Varadkar does not believe in a complete ban on homework.

He previously said there’s a place for homework in our education system, but we need to have a fair balance.

“You could have a long day in class, get home in the early evening, and then face, you know, three hours of homework.

“I remember that when I was a kid, staying up very late to do homework,” he shared.

Varadkar stressed that it shouldn’t be banned completely, but scaled back.

President Higgins also voiced his concerns about homework

The President of Ireland agreed with parents and said children should have more free time after school.

He told RTÉ’s news2day: “I think myself, really that the time at home and the time in school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things.”

Do you think homework should be banned in Ireland?

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'Why I believe homework should be banned', by one primary school student

As the discussion around state exams through the Covid-19 shutdown continues, a separate debate about the very need for homework itself rumbles on. Over the years, many have argued that homework for students in busy modern-day family structures is no longer workable.

This year, the Green Party sought to open a discussion about the banning of homework in future. Here, primary school pupil Misha McEnaney, a fifth class student from Dublin, outlines why he believes homework is more of a hindrance than a help.

IRISH CHILDREN SPEND around 274.5 hours on homework in a year. Is it a waste of time? Generally speaking, homework does not improve academic performance among children, although it may improve academic skills among older students especially lower-achieving kids. Homework also creates stress among students who could be doing other things.

I think it is a waste of time. Here’s why I think so. 

Many students think homework is extremely boring and hard so it increases our stress levels. You might fight with your family or friends and that gives the impression you are angry and irritated when often it’s just because your homework is increasing your stress.

Also, a study by scholar Denise Pope at Stanford shows that out of 4,300 students at high-performance schools, 60% stated that their homework was their primary source of stress.

Movement is more important

I believe that homework eliminates time when you could be exercising, playing sports, carrying out hobbies, reading etc. So when your friends are playing outside or something exciting or important is happening you can’t go out because you’re stuck inside doing your homework. 

Homework messes up your sleep cycles and it causes you to be more tired. After school when you’re tired from working you still have to do your homework, so you don’t deliver your full concentration and that makes your performance not as acceptable as it should be. This can cause your grade to go down and so that defeats the whole point of education to become better and smarter. 

A study from teenink.com shows that students perform best in school when they receive 10–12 hours of sleep each night, while only 15% of teenagers in America reported themselves sleeping eight hours or more on school nights, according to the national sleep foundation of America. Sleep disruption is very bad for our health.

Teacher trust

If you’re completely booked up for the day doing sports or other activities you have no time to do your homework. Your teachers start to trust you less and less and this develops a bad view of you when it’s not entirely your fault. 

It’s also repetitive so you’re doing the same work at school and there’s no effectiveness, it’s not going in. So all that homework becomes a waste because you have already completed it at school. You can also easily get distracted.

Homework takes away revision time for tests and that can affect the test scores. That develops a bad reputation for the student and for the school. The parents then assume that the teaching at the school is bad and they might move school. So the kid might lose friends and over time the school becomes less liked and popular.

All because there is too much homework. 

Bad for the mood

If you don’t sleep enough it can cause mood swings which can affect students’ performance and relationships. To think we can stop all of this by just banning homework makes me wonder why schools still give out homework at all.

People who believe that homework should not be banned have reasonable points and arguments. They believe that doing homework at home can be better for the students and they would receive higher results. 

They also think the parents of the students will have an idea of what type of work they are doing in the classroom, at what scale the student is doing their work and how the student is doing that work. There is absolutely no reason why parents shouldn’t know what the student’s work is like. 

Some people believe that homework boosts interaction between a student and his or her teacher. Homework might develop their presentation skills. They believe that homework is “a remedy against weaknesses”. These can all be done at school. They believe it teaches the students responsibility because they have to make sure that they do their work and not lose it or destroy it. 

They think the students learn much more new information as well as in school. So people think it teaches the students important life skills. They also think it keeps the students busy and entertained. I would argue that these should all be the responsibility of parents, not school.

A shift in the debate

The Green Party in Ireland has promised to explore the banning of homework for primary school children. They also vow to review primary and secondary schools curriculum “to meet the needs of the 21st century”. Catherine Martin, deputy leader of the Green Party, said that “the phasing out of homework is something that definitely should be explored”. 

“This isn’t new, this has been on our policy for the past several years. And I think we really need to have a conversation on how best to develop the creative juices of our children, or really change how we do homework, homework could be, ‘go home and draw a picture of something that means a lot to you’,” she said.

“They’re so young, especially up to the age of seven or eight, it’s a conversation that we need to have”. 

She used the example of Loreto Primary School in Rathfarnham, Dublin, which is currently trialling a “no-homework” programme for all classes except sixth. Ms Martin said that they had found the pilot scheme “amazing” and children were spending a lot more time with their families as a result. 

Mental health considerations

Psychotherapist Mary McHugh believes that we are reducing children’s natural “curious, imaginative and creative” tendencies by “pressuring them to conform”. 

“Our children from the age of three, are being trained to sit still and from five upwards, it’s expected that this is the norm.” McHugh also says that “stress is showing up at an alarming scale and we’re still applying more pressure academically younger and younger”. 

Let’s look at Finland. In Finland, there is no homework in all schools. Finland agrees that there should be no homework because it increases stress, it wastes time etc. Finnish students regularly top the charts on global education metric systems.

Some 93% of Finnish students graduate from secondary school compared to 75% in the USA and 78% in Canada. About two in every three students in Finland go to college which is the highest rate in Europe. The students’ test scores dominate everyone else.  These are the scores for the PISA test (Program for International Student Assessment) 2006.  There are other reasons why Finland’s education system is so good but no homework is definitely an important one. 

Homework increases stress levels among students. It replaces time for hobbies and sports. It messes up your sleep. It can’t always be done and that causes trouble. It’s repetitive. You can develop health problems from lack of sleep.

It takes away time for studying and also when you don’t get enough sleep you can get mood swings and that can affect performance and relationships. There are reasonable arguments for why people who believe that homework shouldn’t be banned are wrong.

We have seen that the Green Party also thinks that homework should be banned and that some schools have already trialled it. We have looked at Finland banning homework and we have seen the impact it has made compared to other countries. This is why I think homework should be banned, not just in my school but in all schools. 

Misha McEnaney is a fifth class student at St Mary’s College, Rathmines, Dublin.

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27th Jan 2023

No plans to abolish homework, says Minister Foley

Kat O'Connor

Do you think homework should be scrapped in Ireland?

Minister for Education Norma Foley has said she has no plans to abolish homework in Ireland.

The Minister commented on the issue after President Michael D. Higgins suggested recently that homework be scrapped so that children could pursue “other creative things”.

But Foley does not agree, stating that it is up to each individual school to set its own homework policy.

“It would not be appropriate for a Government Minister to engage in the public debate with the office of the President,” she told the Irish Mirror .

Foley added that schools can make their own homework policies and that it is not up to the Government to scrap homework.

“These policies are created in conjunction with senior management and staff, the boards of management, parents, and the pupils,” she explained.

“Schools are in of themselves places where creative pursuits are cultivated, nurtured and encouraged. “That creativity may also be reflected in homework.”

While appearing on  RTÉ news2day to mark its 20th anniversary, the President of Ireland was asked by students from St Kevin’s National School in Littleton, Tipperary his thoughts on homework.

“I think myself, really that the time at home and the time in school is an educational experience,” he responded.

“It should get finished at the school.”

“People should be able to use their time for other creative things.”

In regard to homework, many parents feel it takes up too much of their children’s time during the evening.

However, others argue it helps kids make more progress in school and that it benefits their communication and reading skills.

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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar admits schoolchildren can get too much homework but stops short of supporting calls for ban

"I think there's definitely a place for homework but we need to make sure that there isn't too much of it."

• 12:15, 30 JAN 2023

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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has stopped short of supporting calls for a ban on homework for schoolchildren but admits some children get “too much.”

His comments come just weeks after President Michael D Higgins called for homework to be banned.

The Fine Gael leader told Newstalk's Pat Kenny Show that he will now talk to Education Minister Norma Foley about the matter.

Read More : 'Nasty storm' with hurricane force winds to narrowly avoid Ireland this week

In an interview with RTÉ’s News2Day, President Higgins said that he believed time at home should be spent doing more creative activities.

“I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things," the former Arts Minister told schoolchildren in attendance.”

The Taoiseach has now weighed in on the homework debate, saying that he thinks children get too much homework.

Mr Varadkar said: “I guess I'd have to talk to Minister Foley about that. We haven't had a chance to discuss it.

“I think definitely kids can have too much homework.

“You could have a long day in class, get home in the early evening and then face, you know, three hours of homework.

“I remember that when I was a kid, staying up very late to do homework.

“I think there's definitely a place for homework but we need to make sure that there isn't too much of it.”

When asked if he minded President Higgins making public comments on homework, the Taoiseach noted that his contributions are “always welcome”.

In a recent survey, Irish Mirror readers were also overwhelmingly in favour of banning homework, with 98% of our readers in favour.

In a landslide decision, 57,440 readers voted yes, while just 1,211 voted no.

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Schoolchildren and parents urge minister to introduce homework ban

The Department of Education told the letter writers that homework policy was not within its powers. File picture: PA

Schoolchildren and parents have pleaded with Education Minister Norma Foley to step in and introduce a homework ban.

In letters to the minister, children wrote about how they were being forced to give up hobbies because they were given so much work to do after school.

The correspondence followed comments by President Michael D Higgins in January that a ban on homework should be considered.

In one letter, a child wrote about how seven hours of school each day was “plenty of education”.

“I do not ask for homework to be completely banned but for it to be reduced to a certain limit. 

Otherwise, if there is a constant build-up of homework daily, it can cause stress and even a lack of exercise which will affect a person’s well-being.

Another wrote: “Kids should be doing more creative things with their time after school. Many kids have had to stop doing hobbies because of it." 

One handwritten letter, decorated with a Minnie Mouse bow, said homework was “annoying for teachers and pupils”.

“I play soccer and love writing stories, but because of homework, I have no time for doing these things. For teachers, it gives them more copies to correct and they have to go through the trouble of deciding what homework to give.” 

A secondary school student said that if “sleeping isn’t for school” then “work isn’t for home”.

“When I would finish homework, there would be barely any time for me to relax before I had to go to bed to get enough sleep to get up in the morning,” said their letter.

“As I’m sure you’re aware, our president Michael D Higgins also thinks that homework should be banned so if you don’t want to listen to me, listen to our President.” 

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

A single parent also wrote in to explain how one of their children was getting two hours of written homework every day.

They said: “We need time to teach them life skills such as sewing, cooking, how to work the washing machine, change their own bed sheets, and personal care.

“These teachings are very hard for parents with zero time left in the evenings. There is no time for them to spend with siblings and parents because they are so tired.” 

Department response

In response, the Department of Education told the letter writers that homework policy was not within its powers.

In emails, the department said: "It is a matter for each school, at local level, to arrive at its own homework policy.

“In keeping with good practice, the process of drafting a homework policy should involve consultation with teachers, parents, and students.

“However, the department does acknowledge that homework can play an important part in helping pupils prepare for forthcoming class work and in reinforcing work already covered during class time.”

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Has research really settled the fight over phone bans in schools?

Should schools ban smartphones? It’s a debate that has been part of education for 25 years or so without much resolution.

In February this year, though, the Department for Education made its position clear by releasing non-statutory guidance recommending the prohibition of phone use during the school day.

For some this was a sensible call that would help curb the damaging impact these devices are having , while others said decisions about phone use should be left to those running schools and the guidance was an example of more government meddling.

Recently, two new reports seem, at least on the surface, to suggest that banning phones is empirically better for students.

Boosting grades, reducing bullying

The first is from the Norwegian School of Economics , where Sara Abrahamsson, a researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, published a report linking smartphone bans with improved grades, better behaviour and improved mental health.

Specifically, she looked at data on student grades and regularity of student consultation with psychologists and GPs, from 477 middle schools in Norway (which teach students aged 13-16) that implemented phone bans.

Given the size of the Norwegian school system, this meant she sampled 36 per cent of school students of this age and, in doing so, uncovered some notable findings.

Her study showed that after a phone ban was enforced, the number of girls requiring specialist medical care was 60 per cent less than before. Bullying reduced by 43 per cent for boys after four years of a ban being in place, and 46 per cent for girls after three years.

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Meanwhile, on the assessment side, the research found that maths was the subject where bans had the most impact for girls, with many seeing an increase in their grade-point average and in their likelihood of attending an academic high school.

Given all these benefits, Abrahamsson tells Tes that she is convinced a phone ban is the right solution for schools: “Banning phones is basically free and leads to better student health and learning outcomes,” she says.

So is this proof that schools should ban smartphones?

For Professor Becky Francis, CEO of the Education Endowment Foundation, the paper “is a welcome addition to the evidence base ” but she says we should be “c autious about relying too much on a single study ”.

She adds: “ When considering any new school or national-level policy, it’s important to build a rich evidence picture, and draw on data and research from several different sources.”

Professor Francis also says there are notable differences between the English and Norwegian school systems, so the results of the research cannot be automatically applied to English settings too.

Dr Christian Bokhove , p rofessor of mathematics education at the University of Southampton, agrees that the study is useful, especially, the outcomes around bullying and achievement that are “moderately positive”, which suggest that smartphone bans could be beneficial.

To ensure validity, though, the research “should be replicated”, to confirm that the findings are not a one-off, he adds.

Another new report

Given the call for more research in this area, it was timely then that in April another new report from the conservative think tank Policy Exchange seemed to show similar findings.

It said students at schools with an effective smartphone ban - ie, banned throughout the day - achieved GCSE results that were 1-2 grades higher than schools without a ban, and the school itself was more likely to receive an “outstanding” Ofsted rating.

For the American psychologist Jonathan Haidt, who has researched the impact of digital technology on young people (most recently in his book The Anxious Generation ), its findings were a “gift to educators and policymakers all over the world”, and created a “strong case” for phones to be locked up at the start of each day and left unavailable for students.

The education secretary, Gillian Keegan, was certainly taken with the research, claiming it underlined why the government had “banned mobile phones in schools”, and adding: “I welcome this report from Policy Exchange, further demonstrating why phone bans in classrooms are so important.”

However, while on the surface the findings sound like more ammunition for the pro-ban crowd, the data for these claims is worth picking apart.

While the researchers behind the report asked 800 schools in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for their phone policies via Freedom of Information requests, only 162 of the 407 to reply were secondary schools in England.

Of the 162, 13 per cent said they had an effective ban, so about 21 schools in total. Similarly low responses were received for the other nations.

Given this, it seems a stretch to say definitively that implementing a ban is directly linked to improved outcomes - a point the report authors acknowledge.

“The findings, while not demonstrating causality, show a clear correlation between an effective phone ban and better school performance, as measured by both Ofsted rating and Progress 8,” they write on page 77.

‘A range of complex factors’

For Seamus Murphy, CEO of the Turner Schools Trust, such acknowledgements are why debates about mobile phones in schools have become too simplistic and politically driven.

“It is well known and well evidenced that in order to understand why certain schools have higher grades, there are a range of complex factors,” he says. This means the causal link between the data in the report makes drawing wholesale conclusions unrealistic, he adds.

Rob McDonough, CEO of East Midlands Education Trust, also questions why the government has come down so squarely on phone bans: “I didn’t fully understand why the secretary of state was wading into this one. It’s much better to leave policy decisions to teachers and governors.”

This is the approach taken by Murphy at Turner Schools, where headteachers have the right to choose if and how phones can be used, with most allowing students to use phones at set times during the day, while one school has an outright ban.

“You need to do what’s right for the community you serve,” Murphy adds. “And whatever position you hold, you need to implement it consistently.”

Delegating to headteachers

Mohsen Ojja, CEO of Anthem Schools Trust, agrees that “a blanket ban on mobile phones may not necessarily enhance the quality of education universally” and so he, too, delegates decisions on phones to headteachers.

“By prioritising high-impact initiatives over one-size-fits-all mandates, we strive to ensure that our efforts yield the greatest returns in terms of educational outcomes for every one of our students.”

It’s not just across schools where leaders are taking different approaches. At Streatham and Clapham High School, the headteacher, Cathy Ellott, says there are different rules for different age groups, with Years 7 to 10 facing a total school-day ban, but with more relaxed rules for older year groups.

“Our Year 11 and sixth form have the social maturity and newly adult brain to be less compelled by the algorithms: they are much more intentional and self-aware about their habits, health and wellbeing,” she says.

As part of this, there is a wide range of teaching on the dangers of excessive phone and social media use, with PSHE lessons on everything from cyberbullying to digital mental wellbeing.

Murphy agrees that this is vital: “Educating children on how to use social media responsibly is one of our main jobs.”

Abrahamsson, though, says that while she understands some of those arguments, her data makes it clear that it is better to do this without phones being present.

“Schools and teachers should, of course, talk and reflect with students about things that are important in young people’s lives, but this can be done without having the phone available,” she says.

The importance of mental wellbeing

Indeed, for other school leaders, her report and the one from Policy Exchange, will likely only harden their belief that phone bans are needed - not just for academic outcomes but for mental health and wellbeing.

“Our general position as a trust is that phones are banned in schools,” says Robert Coles, executive headteacher and director of school improvement at Education South West.

“We want our pupils to interact with each other. We feel our clear stance supports the mental wellbeing of our pupils.”

Rebecca Warren, principal of Mossbourne Community Academy, and Matthew Toothe, principal of Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy, take a similar approach. Since 2004 the Mossbourne Federation has been firmly pro-ban in its stance on mobile phones, which are prohibited from being brought on site and confiscated if they are discovered.

Warren and Toothe argue that the benefits of this are manifold - helping ensure teaching time is not lost to device distractions, ensuring students and staff are safe because they won’t be recorded while at school, and reducing the risk of devices being stolen on the way to and from school. They also say that without phones on site, “the art of conversation is promoted”, which helps to improve pupils’ “articulacy and oracy”.

An alternative after-school routine

But once a student is outside school, their device will be available to them. For this reason, many leaders say banning phones at school is unhelpful because students simply overload on social media once they get home.

One school trying to address this wider issue, by taking the phone ban as far as it can, is All Saints Catholic College in north London, which recently announced that it would be running a 10-week pilot of an optional 11-hour school day, during which phones will be banned entirely.

“The key aspect of the provision is offering children an alternative to going home and just looking at their phones,” the school’s headteacher Andrew O’Neill tells Tes .

“It is about helping to build better habits around homework and then providing them with an opportunity to play and enjoy themselves.”

This may be at the extreme end for some, but it underlines just how broad the approaches are when it comes to considering the role of phones in schools and why, even with new reports emerging and governments issuing guidance, it is unlikely to be a debate resolved any time soon.

Ellen Peirson-Hagger is a senior writer at Tes

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