Lady Evelyn Alternative School Council

First School Council Meeting of the year. Staff Room on the third floor.

6:15 - 6:45 Primary
7:00 - 7:30 Junior

MacLeans has and interesting cover story and interview with Alfie Kohn about homework. In it Alfie Kohn criticizes homework for being pointless and destroying children's love of learning, as well as family and extra-curricular time.

A few quotes from the article:

• Overwhelmingly, the research shows no academic advantage to homework, particularly for younger children.
• The idea that it teaches good study skills, or builds character, or provides other non-academic advantages has never been demonstrated empirically. You could call it an urban myth except that it's accepted in suburban and rural areas.
• Who should decide what families do together: the families themselves or the schools?
• For example, the best schools do not grade students, rather they assess the quality of their learning by having them exhibit in careful ways what they've learned and what they're able to do with what they've learned.