No homework for students upto second standard

SRINAGAR — Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) on Thursday issued a ‘Homework Schedule’ as per New Bag Policy-2020, according to which it said there shall be no homework for students upto second standard even as mandating a maximum of 10 to 12 hours classwork for the secondary and higher secondary students each week.

“Heavy homework is an issue, which makes both students and parents stressed because as a general practice, it needs to be completed by night and reported in the school next morning. This practice snatches the playtime of a child, parents’ quality time with the child, activities leading to socialization with the family,” reads a circular in this regard.

This practice, it remarked, mars student’s creativity and there remains no space for a teacher to inculcate creativity, critical thinking and other 21st-century skills among students as envisaged in NEP-2020.

“Moreover, it is often observed that homework beyond their capacity is being given to students while children should be given an opportunity for creative work at home in which they can take interest along with their family members,” it said.

Remarking further that children need to be encouraged to read books beyond the curriculum at home, the circular opines that there is a need to discuss some of these books in the school which will improve the reading habits of children. “Book clubs may be opened in the school so that children can get a variety of books free of cost in the school itself. Children need to be engaged in creative activities and critical thinking, group discussions so that they can express themselves without any fear,” it said.

Continuing it, the circular says there will be no homework up to Class-II and a maximum of two hours a week from Classes III-V and for middle schools from Classes VI-VIII, there shall be a maximum of one hour a day that is about five to six hours a week.

For the secondary and higher secondary level, there shall be a maximum of two hours a day (about 10 to 12 hours a week). “Teachers need to work together to plan and rationalize the amount of homework that they assign to students,” emphasizes the circular.

Remarking that further, it has been given to understand that all the concerned teachers of a particular class assign homework without coordinating with each other and thus resulting in a heavy burden of homework for a student, the circular further reads that as such it is impressed upon the all the school heads of (both government and private) to ensure that the homework to students is given as per the School Bag Policy 2020 replicated above and strictly adhere to the said schedule without any deviation.