Dear Editor,
I have just read your article on homework (E and L, Jan 30th). Oh dear!
Well, looking at it from my point of view - a 16 year old male Transition Year student who is really tired after 12 solid years, not including pre school, of the education system in this country (which incidently needs a major overhaul) - I find it hard to believe that the situation portrayed in the article is the norm.
I mean, have these people nothing else to do? Is TV that bad? Are books that boring? Are radio DJs that annoying? (Well, yes, they are, but that's beside the point.) I don't think I know anyone who does "four hours each evening of study" and, if I do, they're very sad and should find something better to do before they become mindless teacher obedient zombies.
Studying, in my view, is a useless waste of time and actually worsens the way you learn something. The first three years of secondary school can be divided up as follows - first year: learning; second year: learning and revising and third year: all out total blitz in revising work covered in the previous two years (and general unnecessary panic by teachers leading up to "Judgement Fortnight"). So, who needs to study? You're made go over everything in class a billion times anyway. Relax.
I cannot comment on the last three years of secondary school, but I'm sure it's much the same. However, I can comment on behalf of fourth year and I'd just like to clear up the myth that it is a doss year, as everyone (including the teachers) would have you believe. You do get to experience extra activities (but these should be included throughout the six years anyway). However, you also get to experience the same amount of homework and the half yearly tests.
But now back to the article. "A longer school year" !!!, says Dr Andrew Burke. Oh, please. You go back to school and then see if you want a longer year. And of course it's "up to five weeks shorter than those in other European countries" (who, we feel the need to constantly lick up to!). They get a half day every day, don't they? Sure they don't even need holidays, they have all the year to play about in the boiling, blistering, scorching, sweltering, roasting, sweating (that's enough summery synonyms) weather.
Yours,
46 Rockfield Ave, Perrystown, Dublin 12.
