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There has to be a catch, right? You don’t just… cancel homework like that and not have a catch.
Well, it turns out that there was a very small catch. A primary school principalĀ cancelled homework for the rest of the year so that children would have more time to go outside and play in the sunshine. I’m so jaded in my twenties that I keep thinking there’s a catch, but Principal James Richardson of Markethill Primary School has very honest reasons for this.
He claims that he wants parents to bond with their children and inspire them to “get outside and get active.”
County Armagh principal cancels written homework in the hope that children will go outside and enjoy themselves or discover a new hobby… š¤ pic.twitter.com/3SqJxOY6CD
— Johnny Caldwell (@Johnny_Caldwell) May 8, 2017
Parents don’t have to worry about their kids slacking off, either. Even though homework is cancelled, students are still required to do some light reading and spelling tables. Written work like math, on the other hand? They won’t have to worry about it until next year.
Richardson wanted to encourage parents to go outside with their children or even just spend quality time together. In today’s society where interaction is over the phone or on a screen, it’s no surprise that fewer and fewer children are playing outside. I think I can count the amount of kids that play outside on my block on one hand.
I dearly wish other schools learn from his example. Academics are important, but spending time with your family is doubly so.
