Quebec elementary school sparks debate after banning homework
A Montreal-area elementary school has sparked an online debate after adopting a “no homework” policy earlier this year. While students at Elizabeth Ballantyne Elementary School are still expected to do schoolwork — they’re now just given time to complete their assignments in class rather than at home.
“I was really happy obviously,” student Nicole Walsh told CTV News. “No homework? That’s, like, every kid’s dream!”
Although controversial, the idea isn’t new. Elizabeth Ballantyne has joined a list of other schools across Canada that have banned homework assignments, including a nearby school in Saguenay, Que. College de Saint-Ambroise adopted a no-homework policy in 2008 — it started as a one-year pilot project and continues to this day. Meanwhile, Prince of Wales Public School in Barrie, Ont., reportedly saw grades go up after adopting their homework ban in 2009 — it was even listed as one of the fastest improving Ontario elementary schools in 2015, according to the Fraser Institute’s annual school rankings.
South of the border, a Texas teacher’s note to parents about a “no formal homework policy” in her second-grade class went viral in 2016. “Eat dinner as a family, read together, play outside and get your child to bed early,” Brandy Young wrote.
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The idea of ditching homework to spend time with family was an important factor for Elizabeth Ballantyne Elementary.
“We want students to be at home, being with their families, being with their friends, playing and being children, not spending six hours at work and then going home and working for two more hours. ” Michael Brown, the school’s principal, told CTV News.
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Although studies have found no correlation between homework in elementary school and a student’s academic performance, some believe it’s a prime time for kids to review what they have learned throughout the day
“Those study skills, those work habits (that) they develop by doing their homework will help them succeed throughout their lives,” Steven Erdelyi, head of Solomon Schechter Academy in Montreal, told CTV.
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