Parents struggle to help with homework

Released 23/03/2010

Becta survey finds majority want more guidance on supporting their children

The majority of parents frequently struggle to support their child's learning outside the classroom which leaves them feeling frustrated and their child unsupported, according to a new report commissioned by Becta, to support its Next Generation Learning campaign.

In a study of 2000 parents and 2000 nine to 13 year olds released today, it has become apparent that confusion, frustration and embarrassment amongst both parents and pupils is causing homework to become a disheartening and challenging part of learning.

The "I'm stuck - can you help me?" report commissioned by Becta, the government agency for technology in education, suggests there is a desire from parents to become more involved in their child's education with the majority (81 per cent) calling for more guidance and advice on how best to support their children's learning outside of the classroom.

Simple technologies like school websites and learning platforms can aid parents in making homework hell a thing of the past, providing parents with timely information which allows them to keep up to date with school learning and reinforce the work done in the classroom, at home. However 84 per cent of parents revealed that their child's school offered little or no resource to help support their child's out of school learning.

Becta is campaigning for more schools to engage better with parents using technology, helping to equip parents with the information they need to effectively support their child's learning at home and support the work of teachers in school. The full report with hints and tips on how parents can extend their child's learning beyond the classroom, as well as case studies from pioneering schools who have excelled in extending learning beyond the classroom is available to download at www.nextgenerationlearning.org.uk.

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