Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have?

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Mon, 14 May 2018 01:44:47 GMT

cmissliu — Mon, 14 May 2018 01:44:47 GMT

Hi, I hope the article below is helpful for all parents!

Below are 6 things parents need to know:

1. How many subjects does your child study in school?

For a typical secondary school student, taking up to 8 or 9 subjects is the norm. These subjects consist of languages that are mandatory such as English and Mother Tongue, Elementary Mathematics (or E Math) and Additional Mathematics (or A Math), Sciences such as Chemistry, Physics and Biology, and Humanities such as History, Geography, Literature and Social Studies. Does this seem like too much information? Imagine having to study these subjects in depth, sounds overwhelming?

It is indeed not easy for students to be able to excel in the various subjects. However, with the correct guidance, if a student is determined to do well and puts in effort, it is very possible to score well in their studies.

2. The importance of CCA for a secondary school student

It is compulsory for your child to take up at least one CCA in secondary school. Some schools might even require students to take up 2 CCAs.

CCA is very important as it contributes to “bonus points” when applying for polytechnics or junior colleges after secondary school. Without a good CCA record, it might be more difficult for your child to enter the course of his or her choice after secondary school especially if the course is widely popular. As CCA participation is also graded, two students with the same L1R4 might have differing results because of their CCA records. For example, if two students have the same L1R4 but one student has no CCA, he or she would not be able to take 2 points off their L1R4. These 2 points might cause that student a spot in his or her desired course.

CCAs occur twice to three times a week, at an average of 2 to 3 hours per session after lessons. Although CCA takes up a significant amount of time after school, it is still a vital part of a student’s life as it provides a platform for students to learn new skills and enables them to participate in something they enjoy. Involvement in CCAs will also require students to have good time management skills to ensure that they do not neglect either aspects of their school lives (academic and non-academic) which is an essential life skill as well.

3. Tests happen almost every day.

As there are 8 or 9 subjects your child must take concurrently, it is not surprising for your child to have tests for different subjects in a week, and some might even be on the same day. These tests can be mini class test or pop quizzes that teachers put in place to test their students’ understanding after each chapter.

Most students do not take these tests seriously as it does not contribute to their grades at the end of the term. However, these tests are important as it serves as a rough guide of how much your child really understands the concepts taught in class. Although it might be tough to study for every single test, it is important that your child takes these tests seriously and puts in effort into answering the questions. The test results will then be an accurate examination of how much your child has understood or how much more they need to know about each topic. This will help them as they work towards their major examinations as they would know exactly what to work on to achieve better grades.

Hence, as parents, it is important to be aware of your child’s tests schedules and ensure that they are putting in their best effort in preparing for these tests, no matter how insignificant these tests might seem.

4. There is a large emphasis placed on shaping leaders of tomorrow.

What I mean by this is that there are many leadership roles for secondary school students to prepare them for the next phase of life in tertiary education where independence and decision making is crucial.

These leadership roles can range from class committees, CCA executive committees, house leadership roles or even the student council. Students who take up these leadership roles have an additional responsibility other than studying and attending their CCAs. Sometimes, it can take up quite a large portion of the student's 'free time'. Hence, taking up these leadership roles comes with a huge responsibility of juggling these commitments with schoolwork.

It is easy for your child to forget about their studies when they are too absorbed in their leadership commitments, especially when the competition/performance period comes. Your child might be too focused into planning for their CCA that they might forget to finish up homework or even fall asleep during lessons as they stayed up late the previous night to plan for these events. This might affect their results and schoolwork may start to snowball. It is thus important to always ensure that your child does not neglect schoolwork and remind them to find a balance between the different activities they are involved in.

Although taking up these leadership roles is an additional commitment that may seem unnecessary, it is in fact very beneficial for your child if your child can manage. As mentioned that many universities and even employers are now focusing on students’ involvement in activities such as volunteering to give back to the society and leadership roles in their respective CCA. Hence, taking up leadership roles will increase their level attainment in LEAPS 2.0 and make your child's portfolio (testimonial) looks more appealing.

On top of that, your child would learn communication skills, teamwork and decision-making skills that will help them adapt to foreign situations well. These skills are not just beneficial to them during school hours but also when they participate in external activities or move on to their tertiary lives. As parents, it is important to let your child experience obstacles during their school life as things are not always smooth sailing and ideal. While facing these obstacles, they learn how to face problems and solve them without shying away in fear or doubt. This will build your child to be more resilient and tenacious in times of difficulty. Leadership roles will also help to train your child to be a confident speaker in front of crowds which would be beneficial when it comes to presentations they would have to do in the future.

5. Work hard, play hard?

With all these activities going on during the school term, it is important to ensure that your child has a good break to relax and recharge when necessary. Even the most well-oiled machines will break down if it is overworked. The same goes for your child; if they do not get a break, it might cause them to burn out before their major examinations and it is not a desirable situation. Although it is understandable that parents are afraid that they child will fall behind if they stop studying totally, it is also important to ensure that your child is able to last through the demanding school terms ahead.

6. The importance of parental encouragement.

If your child has been putting in a lot of effort of his or her studies but the results show otherwise, commend their effort put in instead of focusing on the results solely. The effects of these words of encouragement are intangible but felt very strongly. This will also help build a stronger relationship between you and your child. As school life might place a lot of stress on your child, it is comforting for them to know that you are a pillar of support for them even if they do not produce results, and it becomes a source of motivation to work harder so that they do not disappoint.It is important to constantly be a source of encouragement for your child.

As times change, lives of students change accordingly. Many parents did not realise that a secondary school student might even be busier than some working adults due to the number of commitments they have. Hence, parental support is extremely important as your child goes through this demanding period as your child might rely on you to be their shoulder to lie on when they are feeling dejected, or as a pillar of support during trying times. Through this, it builds your child up to be a stronger individual, and at the same time, fosters a strong relationship between you and your child. However, there are many parents who face resistance from their child as they do not understand the support that their child wants.

Are you one of them? Start reflecting today.

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Fri, 23 Mar 2018 07:18:06 GMT

Capricon — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 07:18:06 GMT

Thanks all for sharing your experience with your kids. It has helped me a lot. I decided to help my daughter with her time management, before deciding to change schools. It has been a long time since I have accessed to the forum, I am so glad to ask for advice here. :thankyou:

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Fri, 23 Mar 2018 01:22:49 GMT

Funz — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 01:22:49 GMT

It is an adjustment for the kids when they move from primary to secondary school.

DS just told me a few weeks back that he is not enjoying school as much as he thought he would and he missed his primary school. When I probed him further, he said that he feels stressed about all the teachers' expectations and what he feels is the school's overall stance with regards to forgetfulness or carelessness. He said that there are no chance given. I told him he is considered a teen now, no longer a kid. All the reminders and hand holding and multiple warning and chances have been given to them in primary school. They are turning into young adults so they have to assume ownership in their own character development and I am glad that the school is strict about that.

Workload wise, with DD who is in Sec 3 and DS in Sec 1, I do not see a very heavy workload. I see more need to work together with classmates on projects and that can be time consuming. DD is in her school netball team, normal training is twice a week but during zonals it can end up being almost daily. For DS, 2 CCAs is compulsory so 3 days is taken up by CCA. During these days both of them are home by 7pm. As at now, there are no supplementary classes for both of them. I hear DD telling me she is staying back for consultation with this or that teacher because she missed a lesson due to competition or she did not understand the topic and needed more coaching. DS only once and it is also because there was some school event and the teacher needed some time in the afternoon to cover the topic with them. I don't see them rushing much work even on such days and I asked them how they coped. Both said they try to finish their work over their lunch break before CCA starts. I read a lot about kids in sec school having to sleep late due to heavy work load but so far both DD and DS can go to bed at 9pm if I insist. There will be that odd 1 or 2 days where they need that extra hour to finish their work but so far ok.

DD had a rough start when she first started Sec school but she settled well and has been enjoying school since. It appears DS too had an adjustment period but is now settling into the school routine. He was looking forward to going back to school after the school break. I think it helps that both got into their choice of CCAs.

DD is relishing the 'freedom' and opportunities she is getting while DS is reminiscing the carefree days of primary school.

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Fri, 23 Mar 2018 00:23:28 GMT

ammonite — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 00:23:28 GMT

nms1:
ammonite:
Yes the hours are long, but they are long in every school. So the question is whether the kids are happy or at least okay with the long hours. Those who are enjoying school (not the same as doing well in school!) generally relish the long hours - they complain but they want to go early and they stay back to do extras that they don't have to. They go back to school during school holiday when they don't have to. They meet up with friends to do project work and they go happily and come back tired but content.

The hours are long. So misery or happiness - both are lengthened and multiplied. That is the difference.
I don't agree with this entirely. Even if they love school they do need to have other things in their lives. I enjoy my job but I don't think I would if it took over my life to the exclusion of everything else. We all need balance. All work and no play.............

I did say that enjoying school is not the same as doing well in school... My secondary school going teen is enjoying school and he definitely is not working hard in school. He has lots of friends, doing minimal to pass, loving his cca, and staying back to help with all sort of unnecessary social events. We consider him thriving with healthy self esteem with a group of good natured kids around him. His grades are nothing to crow about, he is sleep deprived during the week (doing non academic stuff), but he is developing well in everything that matters for this stage of life.

(Deleted to keep focus on secondary school)

Back to Capricorn’s dd, keeping in mind that secondary school is a huge transition - new faces, new teachers, new standards and demands - it will be helpful to pinpoint where she is struggling and give her some support in these areas. She can also be missing her old friends, especially if they seem to be moving on, and that will be a different issue that mummy has to talk to her about - transitions, moving on in life, how to keep in touch, creating emotional anchors for these moments.

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 23:56:37 GMT

sharonkhoo — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 23:56:37 GMT

nms1:
No, Express stream at St Joseph's Covent - not a so-called 'top school'

From what I hear, sometimes the \"better\" classes in the non-top schools put more pressure on the students than in the top schools. There is a \"catch-up\" and \"prove it to them\" mentality at play. Many parents like that attitude and are willing for their kids to pay that price. I guess parents who differ have to decide what is appropriate and wise, convince the students, placate the teachers...

My daughter in the less competitive school had to bear with much more exhortation to work hard, do better etc than the one in the \"top\" school. She was one of the stronger students (within the top third) in that school, so the teachers would say that she should aim to do as well as the students in better schools. It may have worked for some, but it made her more stressed and unhappy, so I told her to just ignore the well-meant \"encouragement\". We decided how hard she should work, and where to draw the line.

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 23:55:26 GMT

ksraja69 — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 23:55:26 GMT

Thanks

I understand your views

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 14:27:44 GMT

nms1 — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 14:27:44 GMT

ksraja69:
nms1:
My personal feeling is that the workload and hours are ridiculous for secondary school. My daughter (now Sec 2) has supplementary classes until 3pm four times a week then CCA twice a week which usually dismisses after 6pm. This means that twice a week she leaves home at 6:30am and doesn't come back until close to 7:30pm. On two other days she is back around 4pm.

My daughter is a perfectionist who spends way too much time on her work but she generally doesn't sleep until 11pm at the earliest on weekdays, and most weekends as well. During the March holidays she went back to school for one morning (some girls went back twice) and she spent most of the time doing homework including one day with her project group doing project work.

The teachers have told me that she just has to deal with it as they can't teach the whole syllabus in school hours so they need the supplementary classes hence the longer days.
Is your Daughter in a IP school?

No, Express stream at St Joseph's Covent - not a so-called 'top school'

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 14:22:41 GMT

ksraja69 — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 14:22:41 GMT

nms1:
My personal feeling is that the workload and hours are ridiculous for secondary school. My daughter (now Sec 2) has supplementary classes until 3pm four times a week then CCA twice a week which usually dismisses after 6pm. This means that twice a week she leaves home at 6:30am and doesn't come back until close to 7:30pm. On two other days she is back around 4pm.

My daughter is a perfectionist who spends way too much time on her work but she generally doesn't sleep until 11pm at the earliest on weekdays, and most weekends as well. During the March holidays she went back to school for one morning (some girls went back twice) and she spent most of the time doing homework including one day with her project group doing project work.

The teachers have told me that she just has to deal with it as they can't teach the whole syllabus in school hours so they need the supplementary classes hence the longer days.

Is your Daughter in a IP school?

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 09:34:41 GMT

sharonkhoo — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 09:34:41 GMT

nms1:
ammonite:
Yes the hours are long, but they are long in every school. So the question is whether the kids are happy or at least okay with the long hours. Those who are enjoying school (not the same as doing well in school!) generally relish the long hours - they complain but they want to go early and they stay back to do extras that they don't have to. They go back to school during school holiday when they don't have to. They meet up with friends to do project work and they go happily and come back tired but content.

The hours are long. So misery or happiness - both are lengthened and multiplied. That is the difference.
I don't agree with this entirely. Even if they love school they do need to have other things in their lives. I enjoy my job but I don't think I would if it took over my life to the exclusion of everything else. We all need balance. All work and no play.............

I agree with both views. It really depends on the child. I have 2 very different girls, with different capacities and personalities. My older girl is not very high-capacity, and found even her less-demanding school trying. We had to help her by prioritising what was most important, and showing her how to \"cut corners\" on the rest. We didn't send her for tuition but helped her at home, and resigned ourselves that her grades wouldn't be great. When teachers commented on this, I simply said that she was making reasonable effort (because I don't consider giving up too much sleep and leisure reasonable). The tradeoff meant I had a happier, healthier child. In the long run, I think that is better than trying to please the teachers on all fronts, but having a child who is over-stretched and miserable.

My other daughter is high-capacity. In a much more demanding school, she volunteered to do extra work or activities. But she was happy (despite being tired) and revelled in the \"stretching\". She somehow managed to squeeze out time for hobbies and going out with friends, and still got good grades. This school is one which I have heard people say pushes hard, has high workload etc, and some students find it hard to cope.

I think we have to cut our expectations of both the schools and our kids' performance according to their capacity and personality. If schoolwork is overwhelming, maybe find ways to cut back? Some homework and projects can be done more simply (for lower grades). From the school's point of view, if most kids are OK with the demands, they aren't going to change for the minority.

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 07:55:04 GMT

nms1 — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 07:55:04 GMT

ammonite:
Yes the hours are long, but they are long in every school. So the question is whether the kids are happy or at least okay with the long hours. Those who are enjoying school (not the same as doing well in school!) generally relish the long hours - they complain but they want to go early and they stay back to do extras that they don't have to. They go back to school during school holiday when they don't have to. They meet up with friends to do project work and they go happily and come back tired but content.

The hours are long. So misery or happiness - both are lengthened and multiplied. That is the difference.

I don't agree with this entirely. Even if they love school they do need to have other things in their lives. I enjoy my job but I don't think I would if it took over my life to the exclusion of everything else. We all need balance. All work and no play.............

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 06:20:13 GMT

ammonite — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 06:20:13 GMT

nms1:
My personal feeling is that the workload and hours are ridiculous for secondary school. My daughter (now Sec 2) has supplementary classes until 3pm four times a week then CCA twice a week which usually dismisses after 6pm. This means that twice a week she leaves home at 6:30am and doesn't come back until close to 7:30pm. On two other days she is back around 4pm.

To be honest, my ds2 (primary school)has been having supp classes until 3pm twice a week and until 4.30pm once a week since P4. The other two days he get home at 2.15pm, which is very typical for many kids.

My ds1 (in secondary school)'s school day ends when your daughter's supp classes end. His supp classes start after 3pm.

The travelling time probably lengthen the day quite a bit more and adds to their fatigue. Mine are lucky in that schools are not too far, company on the way home is good, and sometimes we pick them up. Once they get home they will just crash for an hour before doing anything else.

By the way, I am not saying that the day is not long. I am simply saying that it is the norm, changing school won't help, and there are other factors at play when kids are not happy in school.

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 06:06:59 GMT

ammonite — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 06:06:59 GMT

Yes the hours are long, but they are long in every school. So the question is whether the kids are happy or at least okay with the long hours. Those who are enjoying school (not the same as doing well in school!) generally relish the long hours - they complain but they want to go early and they stay back to do extras that they don’t have to. They go back to school during school holiday when they don’t have to. They meet up with friends to do project work and they go happily and come back tired but content.

The hours are long. So misery or happiness - both are lengthened and multiplied. That is the difference.

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 05:03:42 GMT

Capricon — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 05:03:42 GMT

I totally agree with you, nms1!

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 04:47:18 GMT

nms1 — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 04:47:18 GMT

My personal feeling is that the workload and hours are ridiculous for secondary school. My daughter (now Sec 2) has supplementary classes until 3pm four times a week then CCA twice a week which usually dismisses after 6pm. This means that twice a week she leaves home at 6:30am and doesn’t come back until close to 7:30pm. On two other days she is back around 4pm.

My daughter is a perfectionist who spends way too much time on her work but she generally doesn’t sleep until 11pm at the earliest on weekdays, and most weekends as well. During the March holidays she went back to school for one morning (some girls went back twice) and she spent most of the time doing homework including one day with her project group doing project work.

The teachers have told me that she just has to deal with it as they can’t teach the whole syllabus in school hours so they need the supplementary classes hence the longer days.

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 04:10:45 GMT

S_Mummy — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 04:10:45 GMT

ammonite:
Capricon:
Thanks for the reply, ammonite.

She hates her cca which makes things worse. We have already written to HOD to pull her out from the cca which is not of her choice. However, they are taking a long time to process it and the St John still ask her to attend even though we have written that she wants to quit the cca if there are no vacancies in the cca she prefers.
I think cca commitment gives them some point deduction that will come in handy when applying to poly/jc, so schools are strict about CCA ( parents, pls correct me if I am wrong). It is really about helping them get the maximum point deduction possible. You can encourage her to be positive as she can pick up useful first aid skills that she will definitely be able to use in the future - tell her she can save your life in future etc. The CCA audition does mean that a fair number of kids don't get the CCA of their choice. I am not sure how schools handle cases where the child wants to switch, maybe other parents can shed some light on that.

It may also be that she is not making many friends in her cca, hence her negativity. She probably feels like she is burning up her precious afternoons on something that is not only totally unnecessary but she also hates, and that resentment can be building up along with the workload and fatigue. If you can help her cope better in any of these areas, you should see some improvement. I have found fatigue to be a huge dampener - some kids seem to just take it and sleep anywhere possible and every day is a brand new day; others just stew and it builds up like a thunderstorm. If she seems deeply unhappy and not expressing it well, you can do some activities with her to just help her manage her emotions, be it outdoor or indoor activities...you know, lower the cortisol level and increase the endorphins or oxytocin. I encourage my kids to just go outdoors and play with the neighbours (yes, even the teen!) if it's not too late. I may take them to their favourite restaurants or to cat cafes when they seem to need some extra TLC. I do talk to them about how to make themselves feel better.

:goodpost:

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 03:08:10 GMT

ammonite — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 03:08:10 GMT

Capricon:
Thanks for the reply, ammonite.

She hates her cca which makes things worse. We have already written to HOD to pull her out from the cca which is not of her choice. However, they are taking a long time to process it and the St John still ask her to attend even though we have written that she wants to quit the cca if there are no vacancies in the cca she prefers.

I think cca commitment gives them some point deduction that will come in handy when applying to poly/jc, so schools are strict about CCA ( parents, pls correct me if I am wrong). It is really about helping them get the maximum point deduction possible. You can encourage her to be positive as she can pick up useful first aid skills that she will definitely be able to use in the future - tell her she can save your life in future etc. The CCA audition does mean that a fair number of kids don't get the CCA of their choice. I am not sure how schools handle cases where the child wants to switch, maybe other parents can shed some light on that.

It may also be that she is not making many friends in her cca, hence her negativity. She probably feels like she is burning up her precious afternoons on something that is not only totally unnecessary but she also hates, and that resentment can be building up along with the workload and fatigue. If you can help her cope better in any of these areas, you should see some improvement. I have found fatigue to be a huge dampener - some kids seem to just take it and sleep anywhere possible and every day is a brand new day; others just stew and it builds up like a thunderstorm. If she seems deeply unhappy and not expressing it well, you can do some activities with her to just help her manage her emotions, be it outdoor or indoor activities...you know, lower the cortisol level and increase the endorphins or oxytocin. I encourage my kids to just go outdoors and play with the neighbours (yes, even the teen!) if it's not too late. I may take them to their favourite restaurants or to cat cafes when they seem to need some extra TLC. I do talk to them about how to make themselves feel better.

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 02:27:18 GMT

sky minecrafter — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 02:27:18 GMT

Hi Capricon, I'd agree with ammonite, in fact Year 1 was the superb honeymoon period; the only thing was getting used to growing up (how to handle difficult peers, nonchalant teachers, too much freedom, time/self management...). I wouldn't encourage changing schools so easily, rather, sit down with child & school teacher/mentor/counsellor. This has to be the time to work out coping strategies cos it gets worse when there're the streaming tests end of Sec 2 & the specialisation of subjects Sec 3 onwards, group projects etcetera. Do spend time talking through the issues with the various parties.

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 02:22:32 GMT

Capricon — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 02:22:32 GMT

Thanks for the reply, ammonite.

She hates her cca which makes things worse. We have already written to HOD to pull her out from the cca which is not of her choice. However, they are taking a long time to process it and the St John still ask her to attend even though we have written that she wants to quit the cca if there are no vacancies in the cca she prefers.

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 02:21:06 GMT

Cloud Cloud — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 02:21:06 GMT

The hours sounds quite typical. What is her travelling time like? Any pockets of time in school to do homework and project? Is her cca taxing or a more relaxed one?

My girl is in Sec 2 and also stays back 2 to 3 days. She try to complete some homework in school and usually spends about one hour on homework. I find that she spends more time chatting with her friends or watching utube.

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 01:57:20 GMT

ammonite — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 01:57:20 GMT

I think the long hours are normal. The style of teaching may also be different with a lot less instruction so the kids may feel out of depth for a while. One term is not really enough time to adjust, but maybe you can look at how she Is using her time to help her find some pockets, and speak to other kids to have a sense of how everything is. Encourage her to catch up on her rest and refuel over the weekend. Does she like her cca?

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Thu, 22 Mar 2018 01:44:25 GMT

Capricon — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 01:44:25 GMT

I would like to know if it is normal to have a lot of extra classes after school in Secondary one.

My daughter is in Zhong Hua Secondary school, is loaded with lots of homework during weekdays and weekends. She has been coming home late like 6-7pm about 2-3 times a week in term 1, her teachers can tell her that it will be worse in term 2. She is not coping well with such a drastic transition, as she came from a relaxed primary school. She is feeling tired everyday but I feel she is unhappy and is resisting to go to school. She misses her free time for her hobbies.

When she raised her concerns to the teacher, she is being told to get used to it which makes her feel not understood. I am thinking of changing her to another school which do not drill the student with so much homework. She was also told that the March one week break is not a break, but to do more homework instead. Does this happen in other schools? Please advise.

I am feeling stress about this, as it is already term 2 and she is still not adapting. This is my first child in Secondary school, and I have no idea that there is so much homework in Secondary 1.

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Tue, 08 Aug 2017 13:35:15 GMT

janet88 — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 13:35:15 GMT

daughter has only 200mb…so she can’t use data plan outside. at home, there is wi fi. but i still can control.

she is busy with homework and with tests coming up, time is really tight. she only has about 30 min to surf/instagram/FB/youtube before bed time.
son has 2gb and free wi-fi in poly…but with tests and exams coming up, his time is quite limited too…but still have to monitor. he helps to coach sister for geography and history.

Reply to Sec 1.parents - how much homework does your child have? on Tue, 08 Aug 2017 00:34:20 GMT

ammonite — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 00:34:20 GMT

Forever, I will just slash his data plan down.

my ds’ plan is tagged to mine. He currently gets 500mb and will run out by mid month if he forgets to check his settings. It is fine. There is nothing so urgent that cannot be done, communicated or resolved through other channels of communication.