Parents have been lamenting the amount of homework their children are given for decades, but when comedian Rob Delaney tweeted about “stopping this madness”, it reignited the debate as a number of celebrity dads – and frustrated teachers – weighed in.
“Why do they give seven-year-olds so much homework in the UK and how do I stop this,” Delaney tweeted. “I want my kid frolicking and drawing and playing football, who knows more about stopping this madness and can help me?”
The post has been liked over 16,000 times, and many fathers have backed up Delaney’s view.
Romesh Ranganathan, who was a maths teacher before he became a comedian, said: “It’s absolutely ridiculous. There should be none.
“The idea that homework at that age is the best use of their time is so insane. It causes stress, ruins evenings and for no real furthering of learning. Can you tell I’m against?” he added.
Delaney’s view was supported by another comedian dad, Jason Manford, who said that “in a time where mental health is critical, it’s important for kids and adults to realise that their free time is theirs to do with what they like”.
Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, who has four children, joined the debate, pointing out that children should be able to enjoy their playtime and home life without additional work.
“There’s plenty of time to be an adult,” he pointed out.
While a number of teachers agreed with Delaney’s original sentiment, they described being stuck in a bind.
Flora Marge replied on Twitter: “I’m a teacher. Most parents actually complain when you don’t set homework. We can’t win.”
Other parents weighed in, saying they have either stopped their primary age children from doing homework or struck a deal with teachers to say they would read with their child in the evenings or keep homework to one hour after school and not let them spend any longer on it.
Delaney, meanwhile, doubled down on his original position.