Karl Stefanovic doesn’t think kids should be given homework. Or, more acurately, he’s tired of having to do it for his children.
Karl Stefanovic, Today Show host, daredevil, feminist suit wearer and chili ice cream eater, launched into a passionate rant on air this morning… about homework, of all things.
In a segment titled ‘Back to School Blues’, Karl addressed a nation of mean-spirited primary school teachers who give their students homework and told them to stop. Because it’s that easy.
“As school goes back across Australia, I have something to say about homework,” he started.
“Firstly I don’t believe kids should be doing any homework in primary school. Load them up during school hours but let them be kids. Let them climb walls and sometimes fall off. Build paper planes and break the neighbours windows with half taped tennis balls.”
Karl, a father-of-three, seems pretty sick of being asked to do his kid’s school projects. And fair enough, we say. How many times did you come home as a child, tasked with constructing a bloody windmill for a Year Three science subject, only to bully your poor father into doing it.
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But Karl didn’t stop there. Demanding the camera be focused solely on him, his voice got louder and his words, more impassioned.
“More importantly stop sending kids home from school with homework they clearly can’t do. The sort of homework that involves constructing a suspension bridge. Using recycled toilet paper. I’m not an engineer and three ply is expensive. Besides I want to play FIFA 15 soccer with my boys and and teach my daughter the finer points of the high beam on the weekends”.
“Quality time. Also I don’t know how to create a computer program. That’s for apple or Google or whatever. And I don’t know how to write a four minute speech in Mandarin. Forget Ni hao, I don’t know how”.
“So as we start the year I’m reminded of that great pink Floyd song. ‘Hey teacher, leave us kids alone’. What I’m saying is, Hey teacher, leave us parents alone.”
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We don’t know how much we agree with him, but he could have a point. Teachers, stop giving Karl’s kids homework. He doesn’t know how to do it.
You can watch the whole, hilarious thing below.
Top Comments
Homework should be helping your family, playing a board game together, cooking a meal. I am a teacher AND a principal who strongly believes in minimal homework if it's simply because parents believe it gets kids ready for high school. In what job have you ever done that requires you to practice one aspect for years before you start? Parents are constantly worried about getting kids 'ready'. Ready for school while they are in kindy, (preschool), ready for high school while in primary school and ready for uni while in high school.
I do not have a policy of homework at my school except to encourage reading and being read to every night. I also expect my older year levels to manage their time...and that means they can complete projects at home but only if they haven't finished it at school. We want self directed, creative and motivated kids. Homework as traditionally described, (ie worksheet completed at home or major project that requires significant parent input.....and YES we always know if a parent has any input to work completed at home) does not encourage this. Organising and managing their own time and actually spending more quality time with family provides a fabulous foundation for the future.
One of my year 7 students requested more homework as he thought it would get him 'ready' for high school. I told him he would be ready within two weeks of doing homework when he began secondary. (How much prep do you get for that new job huh?) Let's kids be who they are at the time and stop the readying business....
You as parents, need to request this at your schools -there is plenty of evidence to support minimal homework. Also check out Ian Lillicoe's stance on homework and his 'homework' rubric.
I'm a mother of two children and a primary school teacher and .... I hate homework!!!!