HK pupils top Asian homework poll

A SURVEY has revealed that Hong Kong pupils spend more time doing homework than any of their Asian counterparts.

The study by the Home-school Co-operation Committee found that the territory's pupils spend an average of one hour and 48 minutes every day doing assignments, and another one hour and 12 minutes doing revision.

''The level is higher than the averages found in other places such as Taipei, Beijing and cities in the US and Japan,'' said research team leader Ting Wai-fong.

The committee polled 900 Primary One to Form Three pupils and their parents to find out their views on homework. Ms Ting said most parents tended to have high expectations of their children's study, with nearly 50 per cent of them saying they wanted their children to spend more time doing homework.

Thirteen per cent believed their children should spend up to four hours a day on homework.

But the executive adviser of the Government School Non-graduate Teachers' Union, Ho Kwok-suen, who is also a vice-principal of a primary school, said: ''Two to three hours are too much for primary students.'' He said the need for both parents to go to work and to send their children to tutorial classes usually added an extra workload.