A local organisation that represents the rights of school children has urged the Ministry of Primary and Education to reduce homework loads for learners at the Early Childhood Development (ECD) level.
Zimbabwe Network of Early Childhood Development Actors (ZINECDA) national coordinator Naison Bhunu said ECD learners are being given too much homework and this infringes their right to play.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement meeting held in Harare on Tuesday, Bhunu said ECD learners are being deprived of their time to play due to excessive homework loads. He said:
Play is a right for children. They should be accorded four hours to play each but they are unable to do so because of loads of homework. As the curriculum is being deliberated on, we need to look at that.
In March 2022, South African parents complained about the amount of homework their children were receiving.
A concerned parent, Sakeenah Ponto, whose daughter was in Grade One, was quoted by IOL as saying:
My challenge or issue is they get way too much homework, and as a Muslim, my faith also plays a huge role.
We have to make provision for our children to get Islamic learning in as well.
Our kids basically have a full 12-plus hours of non-stop learning at such a young age. This is something that causes mental breakdowns.
I have heard mothers complaining that their children aren’t coping at all.
The publication quoted another parent, who wanted to remain anonymous, as saying the amount of homework was absolutely ridiculous. Said the parent:
I have three kids in primary school, so homework in our home takes even longer as each child needs attention and assistance with homework.
I’ve written a letter to one of the teachers, and she has never acknowledged my letter up to this day.
I then made contact with the school principal via text messaging, and he just responded, ‘thanks for letting me know.
Some days, we sit till after bedtime and then continue at 6 AM in the morning. We have no more family time during the week.
Dinner time has moved from 5.30 PM to 7 PM. I really feel that homework has become a form of child abuse.
In Zimbabwe, some parents and guardians in both rural and urban areas are also forcing their children in ECD to attend extra lessons.
As a result, pupils hardly have time to play as they are expected to do homework from extra lessons as well as from normal lessons.
More: Pindula News