Can primary school teachers give written homework?
MY SON is in CP in our local primary school. Every evening he gets hand-writing practice. My understanding is that written homework is banned in France for primary school. Is this true? If so, who could I complain to? NB
AS YOU know, CP is the first year of école élementaire and of obligatory schooling. Children usually start it at the age of six.
It is not considered normal to have written homework at any stage in primary school, although some teachers do reportedly ignore this.
The official rules state that a teacher can give out some reading or research of some kind, or give children some information to learn, however they are meant to avoid giving written tasks. This ban dates back 60 years, to a 1956 circular, which said 'no written homework … will be required of children outside class'.
See also service-public.fr and search for primaire devoirs.
A spokeswoman for the FCPE parents’ federation said in such a situation you should either speak to the teacher or, if that fails, complain to the inspection académique for the department. There is no benefit in complaining to the headteacher, she said.
