Spanish parents call for a homework strike to relieve overloaded school children

PARENTS in Spain have called for a ‘homework strike’ to protest the amount of extracurricular work they have to do with their children.

Around 50% of parents now believe that the burden of homework on children has become too much and is detrimental to family life.

“Parents who join the strike will formally ask schools not to set homework over November weekends,” said a statement from CEAPA, Spain’s umbrella organisation representing 12,000 parent associations across Spain.

“If schools do anyway then parents will send in a note excusing their children for not having done the work with the explanation why,” it said.

Recent studies have revealed that 1 in 5 kids in Spain spend two-and-a-half hours a day on homework.

This exceeds guidelines in Madrid, which say year one students (five year olds) should receive 10 minutes worth of homework a day, which should increase by 10 minutes each year.

This means a 12-year-old should not be doing any more than 1 hour and 20 minutes a day, but parents claim they are doing far more.