The Green Party has proposed removing homework in primary schools

Would you agree?

The Green Party officially released their manifesto this weekend, revealing intentions to 'explore' the idea of scrapping homework for primary school children. The Excellence in Education' section reads: "Schools, college and universities should build creative and nurturing environments where students learn how to meaningfully engage in civic, community, environmental, technological and economic ways." Amongst the proposals are reducing pupil-to-teacher ratios at first and second level, addressing teacher shortages, reviewing primary and secondary school curricula "to meet the needs of the 21st century" and "exploring the phasing out of homework in primary schools". In November of last year, Loreto Primary School in Rathfarnam trialed a no written homework policy in a bid to alleviate related stress experienced by students. In summarising its overall manifesto and vision for the future, the Green Party has stated that Irish citizens "need to rethink how we live, how we travel, how we work and how we consume." It continued: "This manifesto details practical solutions that redress the damage done to our natural world and make Ireland a better, fairer place to live, with clean energy, cheap and accessible public transport and thriving rural communities." You can read the Green Party manifesto in full here.