Call for teachers to issue homework guidance for parents

Parents want teachers to instruct them on how to help their children with homework, a new survey has revealed.

The General Teaching Council for England study found that changing methods of instruction in schools, particularly in areas such as maths and science, make it difficult for parents to aid their children's study, the Guardian reports.

According to the report, they are urging teachers to run sessions to help them understand the curriculum and modern teaching methods, as well as providing worked examples with homework.

It also highlighted parents' concern about the unavailability of teachers, with those working in secondary schools being described as "unapproachable".

Hayley Bennett, a secondary school teacher in Devon, told the newspaper: "If parents have genuine anxieties over helping and understanding homework, then they need to remember that we are specialists. No one would expect an art teacher to understand someone's physics project, so it's about supporting and encouraging their children."

The BBC reports that parents spend an estimated six hours a week helping their children with homework, which is says can help pupils to develop positive attitudes towards learning.