Learning Process - GEW urges the abandonment of traditional homework.
The German Union for Education and Training (GEW) endorses the idea proposed by the Berlin Green Party to eliminate traditional homework for pupils. It's more beneficial to tackle in-depth tasks related to the curriculum with educational assistance within the school setting, said GEW chairman Tom Erdmann to the German Press Agency. This would provide students with the necessary tools often lacking at home in their families. Erdmann emphasized that removing educational success from socioeconomic background is crucial.
Erdmann pointed out that all primary schools in Berlin operate on a full-day basis, as do many other schools and certain high schools. "It's logical for homework to be completed at school." He urged schools other than these full-day institutions to provide voluntary assistance with homework but emphasized the necessity of more personnel resources for this. "Both schooling and pedagogy must tackle this issue," he stated, "otherwise, it could stimulate a boom in private tutoring."
Similarly, the Berlin Green Party in the House of Representatives argued for this on the previous Wednesday. "Homework should help reinforce what's learned in class but shouldn't simply move classroom instruction into leisure time as it robs children and young people of relaxation and family time," the party's school policy spokesperson Louis Kruger told the Press Agency.
In essence, this is a move towards educational equality since the educational level of parents and home conditions should not determine the completion of schoolwork.
The Greens also oppose the idea of repeating a school year due to poor academic performance: "Since compulsory retention has been abolished in integrated secondary schools and comprehensive schools, we suggest that, at high schools, students should only be allowed to voluntarily repeat a year," said the party's leader Bettina Jarasch a few days ago. "Rather than applying pressure, we aim to enhance responsibility and self-esteem."
The GEW aligns with this proposal. "Retention has always been a pedagogically unsound approach as it incites a feeling of failure in affected students and can dampen learning motivation in the long term," their spokesperson commented. Instead, high schools should be provided with more resources for individualized support and nurturing.
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GEW agrees with the Berlin Greens' suggestion to abolish traditional homework in favor of in-depth tasks at school, as outlined by GEW chairman Tom Erdmann to the German Press Agency. Erdmann highlights the importance of addressing educational inequality, as many families may lack necessary tools at home. Erdmann advocates for schools to provide voluntary homework assistance and allocate more personnel resources to this end. The Berlin Greens argue that homework should not replace family time and relaxation, and they propose a move towards educational equality by eliminating the socioeconomic determinants of schoolwork completion. Additionally, both GEW and the Greens oppose compulsory retention in schools and advocate for more individualized support instead.
