reading between the lines he was saying – stop being so angsty you silly wmc parents – your kids will do much better sharing your time than doing stuff they should be doing at school in the first place

My mum was a (decile 3) primary school teacher & has been…

However all have mentioned the extreme pressure from some parents to have masses of it, and the squeaky wheel gets the oil often.

One thing I learned in my time on a primary school board of trustees is to be very sceptical about the squeaky wheels. We had one small…

Can't believe I'm defending homework (my 14 y/o self is hating me right now) but I think it's more about "working/learning/investigating things for yourself"

I don't know any kids who would do homework if it wasn't set. Those who are inclined to "working/learning/investigating things for themselves" already do. The rest…

have known a few enterprising people find their own unconventional solutions to combining careers and family life. One professional couple who alternated two years on, two years off each; they sustained that for 30 years. Another two couples I know worked 2.5 days per week each – the…

A recent survey of parents showed huge variations of expectation – from wanting no homework to 2 hours…

And don't forget to add in all the sick days…

Re: Homework. Prior to working from home, I never did any homework for any employer, ever.

Can't believe I'm defending homework (my 14 y/o self is hating me right now) but I think it's more about "working/learning/investigating things for yourself", than actually "working at home". Which is a huge part…

Won't be making my offspring do it either. Don't want to start sending those stupid protestant work ethic crap signals.

will folk now drop the niggle about the PM and respect the choices she has made...

and perhaps Rich actually believed in this centerist lurch the National party is allegedly doing, given that she stood up to Don Brash over (I think it was) DPB bashing, and so…

1. On the economics of modern employment:

Why is it so easy for people to acknowledge that the "rules" of home ownership have obviously changed since our parents embarked on the adventure, yet the just as obvious corollary that the…

she simply informed their teachers at the start of each year (in elementary school) that "my child won't be doing homework.... Any ideas on whether this would fly in NZ?

I haven't gone that far, but I have previously told a teacher that he will do 15 minutes maximum of…

It does seem sinister that families which could once be supported by…

A few years ago, when we were both working full time, and we had three pre-schoolers, I collapsed exhausted one evening when the children were finally in bed, turned to my…

it's too cold for boys to wear shorts in winter, so my lad will wear long pants?

Have you forgotten what you did when you were a schoolboy?
Bare legs are warmer than wet trouser legs in winter. :)

It makes me sad that children have such…

mortal panics

That's be SO cool. "OMG TEH GAYZ!!1! *coughchokethud*"

A while back I was listening to public radio in Canada and they had an educationalist on who had researched homework and reached the conclusion it didn't improve outcomes, detracted from leisure/sports time, etc.

The interesting part came when she talked about how she dealt with this for…

Can't say I'd given much thought to a possible solution to the issue until this morning (although I have certainly thought of it as a problem for a long time).

It seems pretty intractable. I guess option "c" (both of the above – some increase in annual leave…

Which would make slightly more sense if my ten-year-old wasn't being sent home with forty-five minutes homework a night.

Yeah. I can't recall having homework very often when I was in primary school, but it seems to be common now. Both schools my son has been to have given it…

I get all your maths, but what I was wanting to know was: do you think we should give workers 9-13 weeks annual leave? (and nevermind about those bastard employers who would…

but if you suggest that the Nats is not one big happy family in step behind Daddy John you get shouted down by the mob.

Eh??
1. Where is anyone suggesting the Nats are one big happy family?
2. What shouting?
3. What mob?

If society deems fit to close that difference, we either increase the school year, or increase worker…

Are you saying that it would be a good idea (post-revolution, when the usual suspects have been lined up and shot) for NZ to have 13 weeks of annual leave? Would this be for all workers, or just those with children?

that would be one way to create one HECK…

I take it as granted that 13 weeks of annual leave is out of the question, since the usual suspects fought tooth and nail against 4 weeks.

Hold up, wait a minute Comrade ...

Are you saying that it would be a good idea (post-revolution, when the usual suspects have been…

Damnit, haven't we had a bunch of studies showing that homework makes no difference to outcomes?

Down with homework. Liberate your kids AND their teachers.

Apropos holidays: I've been lucky with employers, but jeez it's hard as a single parent these days. And the four…

She was wearing her broadcasting spokesperson hat that day, and came across as not actually…

Perhaps she was hoping to be a part of a Velvet Revolution and she has dejectedly concluded that it's not worth hanging around for something as slight as a Beige Makeover.

My feeling too, but if you suggest that the Nats is not one big happy family in step behind…

Rich wasn't the only Naitonal MP to vote for the anti- smacking bill – Paul Hutchison did as well (and I think one other MP – Clem Simich? Not sure).

Her retirement from politics does seem to be for genuine family reasons. And I know for a fact…

Should schools be open for longer – both daily, and yearly? What would they do during all those extra hours? And how would we stop teachers from revolting?

I'm not sure what the historical reason for having a 9 – 3 (slightly longer for high schools I think) school day.…

Perhaps she was hoping to be a part of a Velvet Revolution and she has dejectedly concluded that it's not worth hanging around for something as slight as a Beige Makeover.

I reckon this is what it's boiled down to. She's just said on RNZ National that bulk funding is…

solves one problem ...but its not unusual to discover that Korean and Chinese kids are schooling here because their parents are…

Just for starters, there is the tyranny of simple arithmetic. There are thirteen-odd weeks of school holidays a year, and, typically four weeks of annual leave.

Solutions to this 9-week incongruity? (Reduced to 5 weeks if…