Barbara Nowacka is the Minister of Education in Donald Tusk’s newly formed government. Since assuming this responsibility, she has been busy implementing a number of changes. These include streamlining the core curriculum, revising the reading list and eighth-grade exams, and banning mandatory homework for primary school students.

The regulation prohibiting teachers from assigning homework to students came into effect on April 1. However, there are a few exceptions, such as writing exercises aimed at improving fine motor skills for grades I-III and optional extra-credit assignments for other older pupils. This decision by the Ministry of Education has stirred up strong emotions among both students and educators.

There has been an ongoing debate in society since Barbara Nowacka announced her intention to ban compulsory homework. Many people, particularly parents, argue that the new rules make no sense because students will not learn how to motivate themselves. However, some teachers emphasise that if children have willingly completed homework in the past, the regulation will not change their attitude, and those who have not will simply not feel that anything has changed.

"I never assigned essays for students to write at home, as it is widely known that children often do not complete them independently. Instead, I provided exercises focused on developing specific skills, such as conjugation, that require practice. I have always explained the importance of homework, and I continue to assign it as well. Previously, about 90% of my students completed their homework, and this remains the same. Let's face it: those who did not complete their homework before are still not doing it. In contrast, those who did continue to do so," shared Bartek Rosiak, a Polish language teacher at Primary School No. 182 in Łódź, in an interview with Radio Zet.

Some parents who are not satisfied with the prohibition on homework are seeking help on social media. On 11 April, a Dead Statutes Association's Facebook group member posted a question asking for advice on how to write a request to the school concerning grade 1 students. The member stated that he and other parents would like their children to continue doing homework and asked what should be included in the request.

The Dead Statutes Association is a group dedicated to ensuring that students' rights are respected. They (or their followers) offer advice on Facebook regarding various school topics. However, the person asking the above question was probably not happy with the answer, as other group members informed him that it is impossible to repeal the regulation with a written request to the school.

There are, of course, many individuals who support the idea introduced by Education Minister Barbara Nowacka. They also firmly believe that monitoring whether teachers follow the new guidelines and do not assign homework is crucial. Moreover, they argue that secondary schools should also implement the homework ban.

One such supporter is Anna Stęrzewska, known online as 'Ania od matmy'. Stęrzewska is a tutor, blogger, and YouTuber who created a petition addressed to Barbara Nowacka. She argues that students are already burdened with midterms, tests, and a large number of homework assignments. Therefore, she believes that homework should be abolished so that students can focus on their passions outside of school. As of now, 150 people have signed the petition.

Source: Gazeta Wyborcza