So what’s the problem?

Well twice over the last month, my enthusiastic, bubbly, hard working 9 year old has uttered the following words,

“I hate school.”

And it seriously bothers me.

She’s gone 4 years without ever feeling the need to express herself in this way, even though in years 1 and 2 she had some issues with a bully who made life hard at times, and in year 3 she was separated from her best friends and really struggled to settle, and in year 4 her teacher had to take on the role of Head as the current head was off ill, so she had three other teachers over the course of the year.  Even then, she liked school.

So why now?  What’s changed? What has turned my hard working little girl into a stressed out, frightened, angry version of the Miss E I know?

Homework.

Don’t get me wrong, she’s always had homework.  Last year she was bringing home spellings, a reading challenge, occasional numeracy and the odd science task, and we managed.  She progressed, she coped, it was fine.

This year though, each week she has spellings, numeracy, science, reading challenge and so far a huge project each half term.  The first one involved the infamous mountain, and was basically a list of about 30 tasks each worth various points, from which she needed to pick enough to attain a score of around 25 – 40.

She managed 40, but it was hard going and there were tears, headaches, tantrums, and fear.  She was overwhelmed by the task, but also by her teacher(who I’ve always thought was a nice woman,) who seems to ‘encourage’ by threat rather than reward.

When the project was over, Miss E received a certificate, but her actual written work had no comments on it.  No ticks, no stickers, no ‘well dones’, no corrections, not even a smear of pen or a ring of coffee to signal it had ever been opened!!  I mean seriously people, this was self directed learning.  It involved research, creativity, commitment, meeting deadlines, presentation skills, and covered numeracy, literacy and science to fairly high levels.  It would have been a huge project for a student in Secondary school, never mind a Primary student in the first term of year 5.

To add insult to injury, on the day the work was handed in, as my pretty much exhausted child broke up for half term, the class were issued with a piece of homework for every day of their ‘holiday.’

These are 9 and 10 year old children.  They have worked their skinny little arses off, but instead of praising them to the high heavens and allowing them to enjoy their bloody break and have a well deserved rest, she gives them a ton more homework.

AND, the other year 5 class have nothing like the amount of work E’s class has had, and have had no projects to complete at home.  I know this for a fact as my friend has twins and one is in each class, so you can imagine the situation at her house…

I am so angry.

And, AND, Miss ’spare the rod and spoil the child’  hasn’t marked any of the homework E has literally given sweat and tears for already, except for the ‘reading challenges’ which in my opinion are a bloody waste of time anyway as E is an avid reader and is not encouraged to read more by having to write a review and draw a picture.  She’s done them since year one and they are at this point unnecessary and tedious.

E now has a project to complete over the next 4 weeks.  Each group has been given a famous Victorian to write about.  E has Charlotte Bronte.  I’ve talked her through the basics of Jane Eyre.  We’ve looked at Charlotte’s life and what it meant to be a woman and a writer in that era, but the guidelines for this project are strict, and again, instead of encouraging them to enjoy their work and just maybe see what they make of it.  She has also had Miss E in tears with her warning that she must list all sources, and if there is any sign that any of their work is copied, then that is against the law and they will be fined.

I’ve explained to E that this happens at University, but in year 5?  Well, I was very tempted to tell E her teacher was talking out of her bottom, but I refrained.

I sadly missed Parents Evening as it was during the week of the lurgy, but I will be seeing her next week and will have a few things to discuss…

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for my child being challenged, but this is like torture.  When is my child supposed to play?  When does she get to relax?  When is she allowed to be a kid?

Any tips on how to handle this would be fabulous.