"Abolish Homework"

Mom wrote a fiery Letter to the Editor of the Outspan endorsing the sentiments of an article called "Away with Homework". Her letter was one of the guinea letters published in August 1951.

Some quotes from "Abolish Homework":

"Any reasonably intellingent adult, knowing how exhausting a full day's work at the office is, will be able to appreciate that our older children are expected, not only to work for an almost equal number of hours, but to absorb and memorise new knowledge during these hours.

"The child's young brain, like a baby's young muscles, needs plenty of rest and relaxation between short periods of learning and effort...

"After all, how many adults can remember what they learned in school, other than those things which have remained in daily or, at any rate, fairly frequent usage?"

Of her winning letter she wrote "I received this very pleasant surprise when I was in the Nursing Home just after Jane was born. I promptly wrote a lettle poem "Jane Elizabeth" and sent it off to the Outspan but it was rejected...

"Unfortunately I did not win a second guinea with my second letter (which was also published) "School Chaff" (continuing the debate about abolishing homework.)"

The final paragraph of "School Chaff":

"With the present amount of drudgery it's hardly worth being young even once, is it? None regrets a care-free, healthy childhood."