Mumbai schools with no-homework policy on how the practice can make learning fun

Last week Maharashtra School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar said that the state is contemplating doing away with homework for Classes I to IV ldquoStudents should not be overburdenedrdquo he said in Pune ldquoIt is critical for brain development Furthermore homework shouldnrsquot be an easy way out for teachers Instead a teacher should focus on teaching in class such that students donrsquot need to rely on homework to learnrdquoThe discussion is in the initial stages at the state level but the debate has been sparked in the education sector and most decisionmakers either favour it or already implement it in some formSwati Popat Vats founder and director of Podar Jumbo Kids and Podar Prep believes in learning through play projects and activities ldquoThe National Education Policy NEP 2020 focuses on experiential learning by linking everyday activitiesrdquo Vats says ldquoItrsquos posing a challenge for teachers but sometimes a hard proposal is required for us to changerdquo She also believes that itrsquos the parents who will need to change their mindset since itrsquos they who request for homeworkAlready research has shown that homework is a great source of stress to everyone involved A study by a PhD candidate at the British University in Dubai found that most grievances shared by parents are either regarding the amount of homework or its difficulty level In the Effects of Homework on Student Academic Achievement A Descriptive Study Heba Chaya also wrote that most teachers complain about the absence or irregularity of parental support for home assignments The 2021 study further stated that as homework increases so does the collective stress of the familyMany city schools have been following the nohomework policy before it was brought up in the state education ministry Without exception all of them stressed that if it had to be assigned it should be in a form and scale that does not need parental helpThe idea is to motivate the child to pick up something and start working on it on their own but not grudgingly ldquoThough there is no homework for the lower grades parents say that their children automatically turn to studying in their free timerdquo says Bijal Singh head of grade school at Bodhi Vidyalaya in Mulund ldquoLearning seeps in through this selfelected work which is not a burdenrdquo midday looks at how some city schools are restricting studying to the classroomlsquoNumbers are traced on semolinarsquoSwati Popat VatsKiducation as Podar Jumbo Kids calls it is applied to students up to the age of six It involves paying minute attention even to terms and seeing them from the point of view of children ldquoThe word lsquoworkrsquo traditionally denotes something heavy and laboriousrdquo says Vats who has been running the school for 21 years ldquoWhat we have is home play where children do projects or play a game This helps them apply what they learnt at school in daily liferdquo Getting autographs from the watchman milkman and house help is one such activity to understand community workers Numbers and letters are traced on semolina sand or flour at home after they are taught in class This replaces the tedious process of filling up pages with words as revision ldquoWe revise through repetition in class not through worksheetsrdquo says Hasti Gada who heads the Chembur franchise ldquoThatrsquos how we know whether a child has absorbed itrdquoExpressing what they feel when they see a picture is another activity ldquoThis develops language and also builds a rapport between the child and the adult in understanding what the child is trying to communicaterdquo explains Vats The terrifying red pen has also been expelled only blue or green pens are usedlsquoHead heart and hand should all playrsquoClass I students at Tridha School are taught the recorder and have to practice it at home daily for a few minutes PicSameer MarkandeTridha School in Andheri East follows the Rudolf Steiner approach of experiential learning through making doing creating and producing what is relevant and appropriate to a childrsquos developmental stage The school doesnrsquot have textbooks and exams till Class VI ldquoUpto the age of nine Class IIIrdquo explains Navjyoti Brillant who heads the schoolrsquos primary section ldquoacademics need not be revisited at home after seven hours at schoolrdquo Class IV onwards light academic study at home is tossed in with projectbased experiences such as a tour of the cityDilshad Akali with her children Aarav and Aakanksha AkaliParents often question Brillant about the absence of homework ldquoThe teacher takes responsibility for the entire learningrdquo is her explanation ldquoWhat we want them to do at home is to ensure that the students follow a wholesome discipline of bedtime wakeup on time outdoor play and healthy meals Thatrsquos the best way parents can support learningrdquo she saysNavjyoti BrillantInstead of numbers the progress report is an essay about the child Dilshad Akali whose children studied at Tridha from kindergarten to Class X and XII says ldquoInitially the concept sounds difficult but the experience was interesting It was fun to revise class work through riddles games and dance instead of just writing it againrdquolsquoIt is healthy for the child to be boredrsquoHarmony Montessori takes a holistic approach to develop a childrsquos social and intellectual skills PicsSameer MarkandeHarmony Montessori in the western suburbs is based on the principles of Dr Maria Montessori and has been in existence for nine years It teaches students between the ages of six and 12 It is a holistic approach that emphasises learning through independence and choice and nurtures social skills emotional resilience and the overall personalityldquoEducation must be an aid to life and not preparation for collegerdquo says the founder Sonali Parekh quoting Montessori ldquoWe canrsquot isolate the academic and intellectual part of a child and ignore other aspects What about their social moral and emotional development and psychological needsrdquo She believes that homework doesnrsquot work because schools have to acknowledge that they are dealing with holistic beings ldquoAt home they should be able to address and develop other aspects of their personality through helping out with household chores or extracurricular activitiesrdquo she says ldquoThere is so much more children must be exposed to and can learn if they are not buried under homeworkrdquo She is confident that given the freedom children can utilise their time efficiently and that six hours in school is more than enough to complete the academic curriculumSonali ParekhShubra Swaruprsquos daughters aged 10 and 12 study at Harmony Montessori and homework takes the form of book clubs where they read a certain number of pages per week and then discuss them Weekly tests and conferences map their progress but through art and research ldquoLearning is joyful and not a punishmentrdquo she saysParekh believes that since most parents hold jobs their evenings with their child should be spent enjoyably rather than stressing about homework ldquoIt is healthy for the child to be boredrdquo she says ldquoIt is not the responsibility of the parent to entertain the child and keep them busy Do we need to keep the child busy all the timerdquo