is homework legal in ireland

President Michael D Higgins says homework should be banned in Ireland

The country’s favourite leader believes that school activities should end at the school gate and students should be encouraged to engage in more creative pursuits

• 10:39, 21 JAN 2023

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President Michael D Higgins has called for homework to be banned.

The country’s favourite leader has given hope to a new generation of students that the bane of their afterschool evenings could be scrapped. President Higgins argues that this would make time for young people to engage in more creative pursuits outside school hours.

The former Arts Minister believes that school activities should end at the school gate. He was speaking to RTE’s news2day current affairs and news programme for children on the occasion of the programme’s 20th birthday.

Read more: Children being 'corrupted' by drug dealing situation in Oliver Bond flats, Dail told

When asked what his opinion of homework President Higgins said: “I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things.”

To mark the show’s two decades on air, students from St Kevin’s National School, Littleton, County Tipperary put questions from RTÉ news2day viewers to President Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin. In a wide-ranging interview, the children asked the President questions like, what was your favourite sport when you were in school?

When you were nine years old what did you want to be? And when did you decide you wanted to be President?

The students also asked the President about his dogs, his official trips abroad, his favourite subject in school, differences between now and when he was a child and his favourite book. The President also spoke to the children about his love of handball and the importance of friendship in their lives.

RTÉ news2day will broadcast some of the President’s interview as part of Friday afternoon’s birthday celebrations at 4.20pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ News channel and the full interview will be available later on Friday evening on the RTÉ Player. In a message to the children of Ireland and the viewers of RTÉ news2day, President Michael D. Higgins gave this advice: “To stay curious about everything and I think it’s important to make sure you don’t miss the joy of sharing information.

“And I think an important thing is friendship and to make sure that there’s no one left without friendship and that people belong. And we will all do individual things... but I think friendships that you make will in fact always be great memories and that is so important. And also have the courage to stand your own ground and let other children be allowed the space of standing their ground too because none of us are the same.

“We’re all unique but at the same time we have a lot going for us.” President Higgins also encouraged the children of Ireland to speak the Irish language.

He encouraged them to speak Irish in a fun way and to feel free to use whatever bits of the language that they have.

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President of Ireland calls on schools to stop giving pupils homework

Children should be able to use time at home ‘for other creative things’, says michael d higgins, article bookmarked.

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Schools should strive not to give pupils homework where possible, the president of Ireland has suggested.

In an utterance likely to be seized upon by children for years to come, in classrooms far beyond the shores of the Emerald Isle, Michael D Higgins argued that school should not extend beyond the final bell.

“Time in school … should get finished in school,” the president told pupils at a school in County Tipperary this week during a broadcast for RTE.

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Students and parents plead case for homework ban

School children and parents pleaded with the Minister for Education Norma Foley to step in and introduce a homework ban.

In letters to the minister, kids wrote about how they were being forced to give up hobbies because they were given so much work to do after school.

The correspondence followed comments by President Michael D Higgins in January that a ban on homework should be considered.

In one letter, a school child wrote about how seven hours of school each day was “plenty of education” and that more work on top was unnecessary.

“I do not ask for homework to be completely banned but for it to be reduced to a certain limit. Otherwise, if there is a constant build-up of homework daily, it can cause stress and even a lack of exercise which will affect a person’s well-being.”

Another said they felt homework was a “waste of time” and that a ban should be introduced.

They wrote: “Kids should be doing more creative things with their time after school. Many kids have had to stop doing hobbies they have because of it.

“It is a burden to parents, kids, and teachers [and] so for the above reasons, I think you should BAN HOMEWORK!”

Homework annoys teachers

One hand-written letter, decorated with a Minnie Mouse bow, said homework was “annoying for teachers and pupils”.

“I play soccer and love writing stories, but because of homework, I have no time for doing these things. For teachers, it gives them more copies to correct and they have to go through the trouble of deciding what [homework] to give.”

A secondary school student said that if “sleeping isn’t for school” then “work isn’t for home”.

They explained how they did between one and two hours of homework every evening after school and sometimes more.

“When I would finish, there would be barely any time for me to relax before I had to go to bed to get enough sleep to get up in the morning,” said their letter.

“As I’m sure you’re aware, our president Michael D Higgins also thinks that homework should be banned so if you don’t want to listen to me, listen to our President.”

Another suggested there could at least be a compromise so that students would not be given homework for over the weekend.

“[This would relieve] students of mental stress,” they said.

Help parents

One young student said they were left with no time to help their parents, or to learn how to cook or do other activities around the house.

They said: “We all do activities like swimming, dance, and all other sports. It’s hard work and it’s stressful and it’s unfair.”

A single parent also wrote in to explain how one of their children was getting two hours of written homework every day.

They said: “We need time to teach them life skills such as sewing, cooking, how to work the washing machine, change their own bed sheets and personal care.

“These teachings are very hard for parents with zero [time] left in the evenings. There is no time for them to spend with siblings and parents because they are so tired.”

In responses, the Department of Education told the letter writers that homework policy was not within its powers.

In emails, they said: “The Department does not issue direct guidelines relating to homework being given in schools. It is a matter for each school, at local level, to arrive at its own homework policy.

“In keeping with good practice, the process of drafting a homework policy should involve consultation with teachers, parents, and students.

“However, the Department does acknowledge that homework can play an important part in helping pupils prepare for forthcoming class work and in reinforcing work already covered during class time.”

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President Michael D Higgins calls for school homework to be scrapped

President Michael D Higgins stopped by St Kevin's National School in Tipperary where the pupils interviewed him about his dogs, his time in school and his view on homework

• 15:01, 21 JAN 2023

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President of Ireland Michael D Higgins has said he supports the scrapping of homework.

He addressed students of St Kevin's National School, Littleton, Co Tipperary, this week in an episode of RTE's news2day programme.

The President said that schoolwork should be completed in school time so children can use time after school to pursue more creative activities.

Read more: Ireland weather: Met Eireann pin point the end of the cold snap as temperatures skyrocket next week

“People should be able to use their time for other creative things,” he said.

"I think as much as possible that [homework] should happen in the school and I think it’s more relaxed than it used to be.”

He said that not all lessons are learned from books, but that the responsible use of phones is something that he hopes the younger generation will be acutely aware of.

The children of Ireland "have a great value of friendships" and this makes it even more tragic when there is an "abuse of phones for bullying", the President said.

The pupils were also curious about some of the other residents of Aras an Uachtaran - dogs Brod and Misneach.

"He's probably a very famous dog now," said President Higgins of Brod. "He will be 11 in February, which is a very good age for a Bernese Mountain dog and Bród is wonderful.

"He came here at six weeks old, so he's lived all of his life at the Áras..

As for Misneach, he said: "He came during Covid and because I couldn't collect him because of the ban on inter-county travel, he didn't come to me until he was five months old.

"He also didn't have a good journey here, so he's actually shy. He's a beautiful dog."

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Banning homework: Taoiseach says schoolchildren get too much homework but doesn't call for ban

Varadkar said he'd have to speak to Minister for Education, Norma Foley, about the matter

• 15:07, 30 JAN 2023
• Updated 13:12, 20 JUL 2023

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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he will talk to Minister for Education, Norma Foley, on the issue of getting rid of homework.

Varadkar on homework

While Varadkar didn't say he supported call to ban homework for schoolchildren, he did tell Newstalk that he felt some children get "too much" homework.

Asked about the homework debate today, Varadkar said he'd have to speak to Foley about it.

"We haven't had a chance to discuss it," he said.

Varadkar added that he "definitely" think kids have "too much homework".

"You could have a long day in class, get home in the early evening and then face three hours of homework.

"I remember that when I was a kid, staying up very late to do homework.

"I think there's definitely a place for homework but we need to make sure that there isn't too much of it."

The debate was sparked by President Michael D Higgins saying he was in favour of getting rid of homework.

Support for banning homework

Speaking on RTÉ last week, Higgins argued that getting rid of homework would allow young people more time to engage in creative pursuits outside of school hours.

The president was asked for his thoughts on homework and responded that he wasn't in favour of it.

"I think myself, really that the time at home, and the time in the school is an educational experience and it should get finished at the school and people should be able to use their time for other creative things."

When Varadkar was asked if he minded Higgins making a public comment on homework, the Taoiseach responded that the president's comments are "always welcome".

School policy on homework

Minister for Education, Norma Foley, has said she won't debate the homework ban issue with President Michael D Higgins.

A little over a week ago, Higgins told the nation's children that he was against schoolwork continuing beyond the school gates, in an address broadcast on RTÉ's news2day.

Foley said it was up to schools to decide on their homework policy.

She told The Irish Mirror that she wasn't going to get into it with the president.

"It would not be appropriate for a government minister to engage in public debate with the office of the president," she said.

"Currently schools are free to have their own policy on homework and these policies are created in conjunction with senior management and staff, the boards of management, parents and the pupils.

"Schools are in of themselves places where creative pursuits are cultivated, nurtured and encouraged and that creativity may also be reflected in homework."

In a recent poll, it was revealed that Irish Mirror readers were overwhelmingly in favour of banning homework, with 98 per cent of readers voting in favour of a ban.

In a landslide decision, 57,440 readers voted yes, while just 1,211 voted no.

Benefits of homework

Minister Foley recently said that her department doesn't "issue any guidelines relating to homework being given in schools.

"It is a matter for each school, at local level, to arrive at its own homework policy".

It followed a question from Fine Gael's Neale Richmond who asked if research has been carried out by her department into the benefits of ending the provision of homework for primary school pupils.

He told The Irish Mirror that children should be involved in conversations about their schools homework policy.

Minister Richmond said: "I submitted the Parliamentary Question following a visit to one of my local primary schools.

"The pupils were genuinely interested in the policy relating to homework going forward and I agreed it's an important discussion to involve pupils in."

Foley told her government colleague that the Department of Education has not commissioned research on the matter.

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School Curriculum

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021

Wednesday, 24 March 2021

Questions (845).

Holly Cairns

845. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the position regarding the pedagogical value of homework for primary and post-primary students; the way in which research in the field informs teaching and learning practices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14326/21]

Written answers

Minister for Education

The Department of Education does not issue any guidelines relating to homework being given in schools. It is a matter for each school, at local level to arrive at its own homework policy. In keeping with good practice, the process of drafting a homework policy should involve consultation with teachers, parents and students.

Although schools are not obliged to have a published policy on homework the Department does acknowledge that homework can play an important part in helping students to prepare for forthcoming classwork and in reinforcing work already covered during class time.

For those students/pupils that are still learning remotely, teachers should ensure that pupils are given opportunities to make real progress in developing their knowledge, skills and understanding across the curriculum. Guidance from the Department states that it is important that all teachers provide specific teaching input to their students/pupils to support them as they continue their learning engagement, this will vary between the work that the teacher will ask students/pupils to do independently and direct teaching by the teacher.

In relation to research on homework, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), in consultation with the National Parents Council, commissioned some research in 2018 on Parental Involvement, Engagement and Partnership in their Children’s Education during the Primary School Years with Homework a significant theme in this work. This research was published in 2019 and is available on the NCCA website: www.mie.ie/en/research/parental_involvement_engagement_and_partnership_in_their_children%E2%80%99s_education_during_the_primary_school_years/ .

Homework is see as promoting a partnership between the school, the child and the parents The research  looked at the following areas ?  

- The home learning environment

- The role of homework

- Homework and achievement

- Parental involvement with homework

Children’s voice on homework

In terms of recommendations related to homework, the following are detailed:

- Additional opportunities could be provided for parents and teachers to discuss how to support children’s language development in the home. This could begin with a conversation about homework

- Although there is evidence of good homework practice in schools, there is a need for national guidance on homework in relation to time, content and method that suits children best, according to research in the field

- Schools need to review homework policies and to ensure a whole-school approach is applied in relation to homework

- Entertaining and interactive oral language games and activities should be incorporated into children’s homework

- In planning homework, schools might take into consideration the demands on children's time to do planned activities outside of school and the importance of outdoor free play opportunities for young children

- Schools might consider removing homework from junior infant classes with the exception of story-time/reading to/with children

- Colleges of Education might consider a module on parental involvement in their children’s education and to include a focus on homework in the module. This is already happening in some Colleges of Education.

This research is being  taken under consideration in the review and redevelopment of the Primary Curriculum currently underway by the NCCA.

Post Primary

The Framework for Junior Cycle (2015) outlines a comprehensive range of approaches to teaching, learning, and assessment which has been informed by engagement with the educational partners and by national and international research. This includes an approach to assessment which emphasises that the primary purpose of assessment at this stage of students’ school lives should be the support of learning. In this context, the Framework advises that teachers and students engage in ongoing assessment activities as part of classroom practice that can be either formative or summative in nature.

Schools are to use a range of assessment methods for formative and summative purposes which emphasise the interlinked and complementary nature of the assessment process at junior cycle. The Framework highlights that students’ homework assignments, project work, and tasks will each have significant formative potential as the teacher gives regular feedback to students on their work. They will also provide opportunities for teachers to take stock and make judgements about how well a student is progressing in their learning.

In addition, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has supported significant research into students’ experiences of senior cycle education, including homework. The Council is currently completing its review of senior cycle education which will be informed by this research. One of the units explores how developing student reflection can allow students to take more responsibility for their own learning and progress. It presents lots of strategies that you can use or adapt when helping students to reflect on their learning. While it doesn’t reference homework, supporting students to reflect on learning should underpin the design of homework tasks.

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'Why I believe homework should be banned', by one primary school student

As the discussion around state exams through the Covid-19 shutdown continues, a separate debate about the very need for homework itself rumbles on. Over the years, many have argued that homework for students in busy modern-day family structures is no longer workable.

This year, the Green Party sought to open a discussion about the banning of homework in future. Here, primary school pupil Misha McEnaney, a fifth class student from Dublin, outlines why he believes homework is more of a hindrance than a help.

IRISH CHILDREN SPEND around 274.5 hours on homework in a year. Is it a waste of time? Generally speaking, homework does not improve academic performance among children, although it may improve academic skills among older students especially lower-achieving kids. Homework also creates stress among students who could be doing other things.

I think it is a waste of time. Here’s why I think so. 

Many students think homework is extremely boring and hard so it increases our stress levels. You might fight with your family or friends and that gives the impression you are angry and irritated when often it’s just because your homework is increasing your stress.

Also, a study by scholar Denise Pope at Stanford shows that out of 4,300 students at high-performance schools, 60% stated that their homework was their primary source of stress.

Movement is more important

I believe that homework eliminates time when you could be exercising, playing sports, carrying out hobbies, reading etc. So when your friends are playing outside or something exciting or important is happening you can’t go out because you’re stuck inside doing your homework. 

Homework messes up your sleep cycles and it causes you to be more tired. After school when you’re tired from working you still have to do your homework, so you don’t deliver your full concentration and that makes your performance not as acceptable as it should be. This can cause your grade to go down and so that defeats the whole point of education to become better and smarter. 

A study from teenink.com shows that students perform best in school when they receive 10–12 hours of sleep each night, while only 15% of teenagers in America reported themselves sleeping eight hours or more on school nights, according to the national sleep foundation of America. Sleep disruption is very bad for our health.

Teacher trust

If you’re completely booked up for the day doing sports or other activities you have no time to do your homework. Your teachers start to trust you less and less and this develops a bad view of you when it’s not entirely your fault. 

It’s also repetitive so you’re doing the same work at school and there’s no effectiveness, it’s not going in. So all that homework becomes a waste because you have already completed it at school. You can also easily get distracted.

Homework takes away revision time for tests and that can affect the test scores. That develops a bad reputation for the student and for the school. The parents then assume that the teaching at the school is bad and they might move school. So the kid might lose friends and over time the school becomes less liked and popular.

All because there is too much homework. 

Bad for the mood

If you don’t sleep enough it can cause mood swings which can affect students’ performance and relationships. To think we can stop all of this by just banning homework makes me wonder why schools still give out homework at all.

People who believe that homework should not be banned have reasonable points and arguments. They believe that doing homework at home can be better for the students and they would receive higher results. 

They also think the parents of the students will have an idea of what type of work they are doing in the classroom, at what scale the student is doing their work and how the student is doing that work. There is absolutely no reason why parents shouldn’t know what the student’s work is like. 

Some people believe that homework boosts interaction between a student and his or her teacher. Homework might develop their presentation skills. They believe that homework is “a remedy against weaknesses”. These can all be done at school. They believe it teaches the students responsibility because they have to make sure that they do their work and not lose it or destroy it. 

They think the students learn much more new information as well as in school. So people think it teaches the students important life skills. They also think it keeps the students busy and entertained. I would argue that these should all be the responsibility of parents, not school.

A shift in the debate

The Green Party in Ireland has promised to explore the banning of homework for primary school children. They also vow to review primary and secondary schools curriculum “to meet the needs of the 21st century”. Catherine Martin, deputy leader of the Green Party, said that “the phasing out of homework is something that definitely should be explored”. 

“This isn’t new, this has been on our policy for the past several years. And I think we really need to have a conversation on how best to develop the creative juices of our children, or really change how we do homework, homework could be, ‘go home and draw a picture of something that means a lot to you’,” she said.

“They’re so young, especially up to the age of seven or eight, it’s a conversation that we need to have”. 

She used the example of Loreto Primary School in Rathfarnham, Dublin, which is currently trialling a “no-homework” programme for all classes except sixth. Ms Martin said that they had found the pilot scheme “amazing” and children were spending a lot more time with their families as a result. 

Mental health considerations

Psychotherapist Mary McHugh believes that we are reducing children’s natural “curious, imaginative and creative” tendencies by “pressuring them to conform”. 

“Our children from the age of three, are being trained to sit still and from five upwards, it’s expected that this is the norm.” McHugh also says that “stress is showing up at an alarming scale and we’re still applying more pressure academically younger and younger”. 

Let’s look at Finland. In Finland, there is no homework in all schools. Finland agrees that there should be no homework because it increases stress, it wastes time etc. Finnish students regularly top the charts on global education metric systems.

Some 93% of Finnish students graduate from secondary school compared to 75% in the USA and 78% in Canada. About two in every three students in Finland go to college which is the highest rate in Europe. The students’ test scores dominate everyone else.  These are the scores for the PISA test (Program for International Student Assessment) 2006.  There are other reasons why Finland’s education system is so good but no homework is definitely an important one. 

Homework increases stress levels among students. It replaces time for hobbies and sports. It messes up your sleep. It can’t always be done and that causes trouble. It’s repetitive. You can develop health problems from lack of sleep.

It takes away time for studying and also when you don’t get enough sleep you can get mood swings and that can affect performance and relationships. There are reasonable arguments for why people who believe that homework shouldn’t be banned are wrong.

We have seen that the Green Party also thinks that homework should be banned and that some schools have already trialled it. We have looked at Finland banning homework and we have seen the impact it has made compared to other countries. This is why I think homework should be banned, not just in my school but in all schools. 

Misha McEnaney is a fifth class student at St Mary’s College, Rathmines, Dublin.

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Teaching your child at home

Home schooling, educating your child at home, registering to teach your child at home, support for teaching your child at home, state exams and third level education.

You have a constitutional right to educate your child at home. The Irish Constitution recognises the family as the primary educator of the child and defines the duties and responsibilities for parents and the State in the education of children.

If you choose to teach your child at home, often called home schooling or home education, you do not need a formal teaching qualification. You do not need to follow the national curriculum, but you must ensure that your child receives a certain minimum education.

You can choose a suitable approach to teaching your child based on their learning needs and what is appropriate to their age, aptitude and ability.

The information in this document is for people who choose to teach their child at home on a long-term basis. You can also find the answers to some frequently asked questions about home schooling .

To teach your child at home, you must:

• Provide a minimum education
• Register with TUSLA's Alternative Education Assessment and Registration Service (AEARS)

Minimum education

Section 14 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 provides for parents to educate their children in places other than recognised schools, such as in the home or in private schools. You do not need to follow a national curriculum. However, the Act states that parents must ensure their child receives a certain minimum education.

A recognised school is a school overseen by the Department of Education. An independent school (or non-recognised school) is a school that is not overseen by the Department of Education.

There are detailed Guidelines on the Assessment of Education in places other than recognised schools (pdf) . The guidelines provide a working definition of a certain minimum education . They describe home-based education and how it is assessed.

The education should:

• Be suited to your child's age, ability, aptitude and personality
• Be responsive to your child’s individual needs and take account of the areas of learning that interest your child
• Ensure that your child's personal potential is enhanced and not suppressed
• Address the immediate and future needs of your child in the context of the cultural, economic and social environment
• Provide a reasonably balanced range of learning experiences, so that no one aspect of your child’s learning is emphasised to the exclusion of others
• Develop your child's personal and social skills and prepare them to be a responsible citizen
• Contribute to your child's moral development
• Provide opportunities for your child to develop their intellectual capacities and understanding

The basic skills that are part of a minimum education include development and progression in oral language, literacy and numeracy. A child would be at a serious disadvantage if their home education programme did not develop these basic skills.

Register with Tusla

You must register your child with Tusla if you plan to teach them at home.

If your child attends an independent school, you should apply to register them through the school. Registration is a legal obligation, but it is not automatic. Parents or guardians are responsible for making an application on behalf of their child. See ‘Registering to teach your child at home’ below.

You apply directly to Tusla's Alternative Education Assessment and Registration Service (AEARS) to register to teach your child at home.

AEARS can send you an application form and a copy of the Guidelines on the assessment of education in places other than recognised schools (pdf) . You can find more in frequently asked questions .

Tusla then assesses your application to register.

Tusla interview and assessment

When you return the application form, the person who will carry out the assessment will contact you. They will arrange a time and date to interview you. This assessor is experienced in education and is authorised by Tusla to carry out the assessment.

The assessment will focus on:

• The details of the education being provided to your child
• The materials used in the course of the education
• The time spent providing the education

The interview can take place in a venue of your choice and will be based on what you have said in your application. This is called the preliminary assessment . Your assessor will complete a draft assessment report and a copy of this will be forwarded to you for comment. Following the report, your child’s name will either be entered into the register or your case will be referred for a comprehensive assessment.

If Tusla is not able to decide whether you are providing a minimum education, a comprehensive assessment will be carried out. This is more in-depth. The assessor spends some time with you, observing how you teach or work with your child, inspecting your educational materials and talking to your child.

Appealing a decision

If Tusla decides that you are not providing a certain minimum education for your child, it can refuse to register or remove your child’s name from the register. It must inform you of its decision in writing.

You have 21 days to appeal against the decision. The Minister will appoint a committee to hear the appeal and decide on the case.

An appeal committee is made up of a District Court judge, an inspector and another person. You and the assessor are invited to make submissions. Depending on their decision, the committee will:

• Uphold the decision of Tusla to remove or refuse to add your child’s name to the register
• Require Tusla to add your child’s name to the register
• Require Tusla to add your child’s name to the register if you agree to comply with any requirements the appeal committee considers appropriate.

If you educate your children at home or in a place other than a recognised school, you are not entitled to financial support from the State.

Home Education Network

The Home Education Network (HEN) is a support and lobby group for home educators in Ireland.

HEN aims to help parents use available resources to develop educational techniques suitable for each child’s needs. Members exchange ideas and experiences of home education through regular meetings and newsletters. Its website has links to research and online information about home education. The network also operates a library service of books on home education for members.

State examinations

Your child can sit Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations at any school by registering with the school in early January of the year that your child will take the exams. Further information is available from the State Examinations Commission .

Third-level education

If your child does not sit State examinations, then entry to third-level education in Ireland is difficult. The normal route into Irish third-level institutions is through the Leaving Certificate.

However, it may also be possible to enter third-level education at aged 17 or 18 without the Leaving Certificate by interview only. You will need to approach your chosen institution to discuss this possibility. There are a variety of courses for the 16-plus age group which are accepted as valid for entry to third-level courses.

You can find out more about further and higher education and training courses from Qualifax - The National Learner's Database .

Related documents

• Homelessness and the right to housing An overview of homelessness in Ireland, outlining legislation and policy. 1027.3917
• Residence rights of EU citizens and their families in Ireland EEA nationals have the right to travel to Ireland and do not require a residence permit to remain here. There are however some limits on these rights. 896.9121
• Brown bins and composting food and garden waste at home Recycling and composting organic waste reduces household waste sent to landfill. What goes in the brown bin and how to home compost? 871.36633

If you have a question about this topic you can contact the Citizens Information Phone Service on 0818 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm).

You can also contact your local Citizens Information Centre .

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More From Forbes

Homeschooling is growing in ireland.

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Father Works On Laptop As Mother Helps Son With Homework On Kitchen Table

The past 18 months have been boomtown for homeschooling in the United States. While estimates are a bit fuzzy, our polling at EdChoice  saw nine percent of American families reply that they are planning to homeschool this fall, a potential doubling or tripling of historical homeschooling numbers.

Is this unique to the U.S.? Recently, the Irish Times published an article describing substantial growth in the homeschooling population in the Republic of Ireland. I reached out to Catherine Monaghan, a homeschooling mom and volunteer with the Home Education Network in Ireland to get the full story. Our lightly edited conversation is below.

Mike McShane: What is the current landscape of homeschooling in Ireland? How many families homeschool? What is the legal status of homeschooling?

Catherine Monaghan: Home education in Ireland is an option chosen by a very small minority of families. It is legal and the right to home educate is enshrined in our Constitution . Families are required to register with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency .

The decision to home educate may be made for a number of reasons including, but not limited to: educational philosophy or ideology; dissatisfaction with the school system; social issues such as bullying; anxiety or other mental health concerns; special needs; and more recently concerns about Covid. ( Note from Mike : It is interesting how similar these are to the motivations of American homeschoolers .)

There are currently 1,772 children on the home-school register with another 1,477 awaiting assessment in order to go on the register. The number of applications to home-educate has increased three-fold in 2021, most likely due to the pandemic.

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McShane: Would you say that it is easy or difficult to homeschool here? Are students able to, for example, matriculate into third-level education coming from a homeschool?

Monaghan: In some regards, it is easy. The registration process is relatively straightforward, although slow. There is support available to parents going through this, offered by the Home Education Network, a voluntary organisation run by home-educating parents.

Parents are free to educate their children in the way they choose, with no requirement to follow a curriculum. Assessment is something that happens on registration, but not on an ongoing basis (in comparison to Australia, where we home-educated for many years before returning to Ireland, there an assessment was carried out yearly and in considerable depth, home-educators in Ireland are largely left to their own devices).

However, the fact that the population of home-educating families is small means it can be hard, especially for more rural families, to connect with other home-educators. Most of us drive long distances regularly in order to attend home-ed meetups and connect with other homeschoolers.

In my experience, again in comparison to Australia, this can also make it difficult to organise classes or excursions for groups.

There is no financial assistance or other government supports available to home-educating families.

Entry to third level education for home-educated young people is possible via a number of pathways. However, these are not always straightforward and can be inconsistent across institutions. Some students choose to complete secondary school exams (known here as the Leaving Certificate ) either by attending a local school for the final years or by studying externally, although this can be complicated and limited by the need for practical assessment in some subjects. Others may choose to do the UK GCSE or IGCSE exams as these courses can be studied from home.

Many home-educated students complete QQI (FETAC) courses as a means to gaining a qualification and/or access to further education or university.

Others still choose to wait and study as a mature student where entry requirements are more flexible.

It is entirely possible, and common for home-educated students to access third level education, but the means of getting there isn’t always straightforward.

McShane: How has the pandemic affected homeschooling? Has there been an increase in demand?

Monaghan: The pandemic has led to a threefold increase in applications to home-educate. There appear to be several reasons for this:

·      Parents chose to home-educate because their child or someone in the family is medically vulnerable.

·      Parents had been considering home-ed and then school closures forced their hand. The opportunity to try it out reassured them that they could do it and so they stuck with it.

·      Parents who had never considered homeschooling found that their children were happier and perhaps less stressed when learning at home and so decided that home-education was the way forward for them.

·      With the pandemic on-going some parents and children find social-distancing, mask wearing etc at school to be stressful or anxiety-provoking and are continuing to home-educate for the time being.

The pandemic, of course, has also had a big impact on regular home-educating families. While home-schooling was nothing new for them, staying home all of the time certainly was. There were no regular meet-ups, no excursions, no extracurricular classes. Ironically, many home-educating families spend a lot of time out of the home so life was very different during the pandemic!

McShane: Can you describe the homeschooling community in Ireland? Do folks organize into co-ops or collaborate in other ways?

Monaghan: The home-school community in Ireland is small, diverse, and geographically spread out. The majority lean toward natural learning/unschooling. Families gather for social events and excursions, but there are few if any co-ops.

McShane: What do you think the future holds for homeschooling in Ireland in the next year, the next five years, or the next ten years?

Monaghan: Home-schooling has gone from being an obscure idea to most people in Ireland to being something all parents now have feelings about, good, bad and everything in between. The key word here I think is ‘homeschooling’. What people were doing at home during the pandemic - following instructions from the school - was very different to regular home-education which is generally tailored to suit a child and family and tends to be more of a lifestyle than simply an educational choice.

Many families found doing school at home stressful and unpleasant. Some found it enjoyable and rewarding and a better alternative to school, hence the threefold increase in applications to home-educate.

There is certainly increased awareness of, and interest in, home-education as a viable alternative to school. With the imminent re-opening of schools in September, there has been a spate of both radio and television features about home-education.

With the pandemic ongoing, it remains to be seen if the increase in numbers holds. Some families may choose to return to school when life normalises, but it would appear that for the coming school year at least the home-education community will be busy.

In saying that, the proportion of the population opting to home-educate is still tiny. One would assume that as the numbers grow (as they do each year regardless of the pandemic) home-educators as a group might become more visible and potentially gain more support in terms of resources, financial support and so on. However, extra support would possibly mean increased governmental oversight and less freedom to choose how one home-educates. Most home-educators would not welcome this because freedom to educate their children as they see fit is the very reason they chose to home-educate. Given just how small the group remains, it seems unlikely that there will be much change in the next few years.

The disruption to education at all levels during the pandemic may give rise to some changes, or at least some flexibility, that will benefit home-educated students. As a society, we are now more open to distance/online learning and the need to offer a range of options when it comes to education, exams etc.

The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity

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New research shows children in Ireland spend third longest on homework worldwide

Studious teens spend almost eight hours EVERY week slaving over their books

• 13:17, 19 FEB 2015
• Updated 13:54, 19 FEB 2015

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Attention parents - next time your teen begs for a study break they might really need it.

New research suggests that children in Ireland are the third hardest working in world when it comes to their studies.

New analysis of OECD education data by mapper Omar Sarhan shows that Irish students spend an average of 7.31 hours on their homework every week.

Russia tops the list, where teens toil for 9.75 hours per week on their studies, followed by Italian students, who spend 8.73 hours per week on homework.

Polish schoolgoers are fourth, spending an average of 6.6 hours per week on homework, followed by Spanish students who devote 6.5 hours to their studies every seven days.

Hungary is next (6.22 hours) followed by the US (6.09 hours), Australia (6.04 hours), the Netherlands (5.84) hours and Thailand (5.59 hours).

At the other end of the scale, Finnish teens come out as world's laziest students -spending just 2.78 hours a week on homework.

Korea is next (2.87 hours) followed by the Czech Republic (3.14 hours), the Slovak Republic (3.23 hours) and Brazil (3.32 hours)

But don't give them free reign of the X-box just yet - the 2012 data also shows that Irish kids spent 24.6 minutes less on homework per week than they did a decade earlier in 2003.

Are kids in Ireland spending too much time on homework?

0+ votes so far.

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Afternoon angst: is homework really necessary?

Forcing primary school children to do set homework does not improve academic outcomes and causes stress to both children and their parents, say educators.

US analysis of research found that, for children aged under 11, there was no link between homework and improved academic achievement. Photograph: iStock

It’s hard to know who hates homework more: teachers who have to set and correct it, children who have to do it or parents who struggle to make sure it’s done.

Yet, most persevere, with the belief it’s a necessary and beneficial part of schooling. Or is it?

The current system of primary school homework in Ireland is a "scandal", according to one Dublin teacher who has studied the effectiveness of home assignments.

It is failing children, teachers and parents "and you could say it is failing the country", says Martin Stuart, a teacher who specialises in learning support at Talbot Senior National School in Clondalkin, Dublin. "Kids are not enjoying the learning and they are more stressed than they should be."

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After reviewing international research for a post-graduate diploma at DCU, Stuart led a revamp of his school’s homework policy through consultation with other teachers, special needs assistants, pupils and parents. Schools are free to devise their own approach to homework and while they are not obliged to have a published policy on the matter, the Department of Education says having one and reviewing it regularly would be considered best practice.

“It is not teachers’ fault that homework is the way it is at the moment,” says Stuart. He blames the department for its lack of guidance for teachers and support for parents.

“This scandal includes the department’s apparent indifference to overwhelming research that homework has zero effect on achievement for under 11s,” he says.

Reference to such research is included in a new study commissioned by the National Parents Council Primary (NPC). Entitled "Parental Involvement, Engagement and Partnership in their Children's Education during the Primary School Years", some of its findings will be presented at the NPC's annual conference in Dublin this Saturday, June 8th.

Academic achievement

One US analysis of research found that, for children aged under 11, there was no link between homework and improved academic achievement. Another study pinpointed how positive outcomes for homework depended on its appropriateness and suitability for the child, as well as clarity of content and purpose.

The literature on homework suggests the key to academic success does not rely on the amount of homework but rather on how students engage on homework

"The literature on homework suggests the key to academic success does not rely on the amount of homework but rather on how students engage on homework," comment the authors of the Irish study, which was funded by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.

This is not the first time the parents’ council has tried to kickstart debate around homework. It conducted an online survey of more than 5,000 parents in 2016, the results of which illustrated the extent of homework angst in Irish homes.

Some 58 per cent of parents of children in the four to seven age group said doing school assignments at home caused the children stress some or all of the time. That rose to 65 per cent among parents of older primary-school children. Almost one-third of parents (31 per cent) said homework caused grief for the whole family.

Three years on, the NCP's chief executive, Áine Lynch, hopes that with this new research in an Irish context by a team at the Marino Institute of Education, "we have a sense now of where we need to go".  "We know from all the research that the home-learning environment is really, really important for children in terms of their outcomes," she says. "When we look at the attitudes towards homework, we are almost setting up the home-learning environment to be one that is negative."

The notion of just abolishing homework for younger children is gathering popular support. But the parents’ council believes that if homework is used properly to link home and school learning, it can have a very positive impact on children.

“They will see that their home and school is connected and they will see that the important adults in their lives are connected.”

Stuart is not in favour either of scrapping homework for under 11s. Rather, he sees great potential if schools would only change their approach.

“If you give kids choice, they can excel and they want to excel. Then they are very proud of themselves and they love showing off and they love learning.

“But if you give everybody the same homework, and aim for the middle of the class, then you are going to have many kids who are becoming discouraged, so that is demolishing their natural love of learning.”

Reduce stress

That’s why “enjoyment” is an explicit aim of his school’s new homework policy, which was ratified by the board of management last October. It is intended to reduce stress and increase the level of learning among the approximately 300 pupils.

“Instead of guidelines for how long homework should take – as teachers always underestimate that – we have introduced time limits,” explains Stuart, who will speak at the NPC conference. “So, children and parents are free to stop after 30-40 minutes in 3rd and 4th class and after 40-50 minutes in 5th and 6th class.”

The question of providing choice is up to each individual teacher in the school’s 14 classes, ranging from 3rd class to 6th class. While some teachers offer options, others don’t yet.

"It's the number one thing kids want," says Stuart, who has set up a website (effectiveforall.blogspot.com) to share his findings and ideas.

Homework choice can come in the level of challenge and/or in the content. Or it may be in the way students demonstrates their learning. For example, some are creating YouTube videos, such as an “eye witness” report from the French Revolution.

“Nobody told them to do that, or suggested it,” says Stuart. “They are having fun, really getting into it and learning lots.”

The role of parents in effective homework is to be a sounding board for their children, he says.

“They are not meant to be teachers and they shouldn’t be expected to police homework. But what would be beneficial, and this is proven, is asking questions that help children clarify and summarise what they learned, such as ‘What did you learn in maths? Tell me. Show me’.”

The Clondalkin school is in the process of consulting parents for a review of the new policy one year on but Stuart can report that “there have been very few parents coming in during the year complaining about homework”.

Martin Stuart with pupils at Talbot Senior National School in Clondalkin, Dublin. Photograph: Tom Honan for The Irish Times.

All the indications from pupils’ feedback so far is that the attitude to homework is improving.

“We have found enjoyment is up, but not enough, and stress is down, but not enough,” he says. “The kids like the content more, which is great, but still not enough. We still have lots to do.”

To improve matters, you need to ask the right questions of children and really listen to what they’re saying.

Kids are crying out for more exercise homework and art homework – fun activity that also boosts learning

“Kids are crying out for more exercise homework and art homework – fun activity that also boosts learning.”

Stuart believes that questioning of the traditional approach to homework offers a huge opportunity. If Minister for Education Joe McHugh wants to be “a hero”, it wouldn’t take much for his department to produce guidelines, he suggests.

“There are already research-based guidelines out there but Ireland doesn’t have any so teachers aren’t taught them. Teachers do what is traditional to them and, unless you’re taught something better, it just continues as is.”

What teachers need, he continues, is a summary of research and guidelines on how to do homework; exemplars on what is and isn’t good; a menu of ideas for various class levels and subjects and a way to assess what the pupil has done.

The department’s inspectors, he contends, never ask about homework because, in the absence of any guidelines to follow, they are not required to.

A word-search on the 10 most recent whole-school evaluation reports of primary schools on the department’s website shows that nine had no mention of homework, while one suggested a school needed to get more feedback from parents on issues such as homework.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education confirms there are no department circulars or guidelines regarding homework for primary school pupils. “While inspectors might talk to teachers and pupils about homework, the evaluation of the implementation of homework policies and practices is not an integral part of the inspector’s evaluation process.”

Currently, he adds, there are no plans to formulate guidelines/policy on homework in primary schools.

Stuart believes that in years to come, Ireland will have official homework guidelines. So why not now?

“I want children to experience the love of learning; to experience success and not discouragement. To have homework that is enjoyable and not stressful,” he adds. “It wouldn’t take much.”

Lynch echoes Stuart’s comments on the need to pool ideas for more creative homework, rather than leaving it up to individual teachers.

“You go into schools and there are many, many examples of teachers doing really good things, but they’re just in that class,” she says.

“We spend a huge amount of time and resources on developing the curriculum in school yet we know from the research that up until between ages seven and nine, what happens in the home has more of an impact on the learning outcome for children than what happens in school and we don’t spend any time on how to support teachers to support this link.”

Home-learning curriculum

The NPC would like to see development of a home-learning curriculum, with more creative learning linked to the home rather than just doing more of the same from the classroom. To devise homework that draws on the many learning opportunities outside school.

“Some of the things that are already happening in families, when they are done with intention, are really good teaching opportunities,” Lynch says. “The thing is the teachers are not being supported to find those opportunities and the parents are too busy to notice them.”

For example, asking the child to teach the parent something they learned in school that day. “If they teach it, the learning is ingrained.”

Lynch also reminds parents they can have a say in schools’ homework policies through their parents’ association (PA), which should be meeting the principal regularly. She would like to see PAs putting it on the agenda for discussion in the wake of the conference.

After all, it’s in everybody’s interest if homework can become much more about the “buzz” of learning, rather than a dreaded weekday drudge.

The NPC's education conference "Tomorrow's World: Parents supporting children's futures" takes place at the National College of Ireland, Dublin 1, this Saturday, June 8th, 10.30am-4pm. All parents of primary-school children are welcome to attend and admission is free. See npc.ie to register

Tears and meltdowns: parents’ homework stories

Hilary Lawrence never found it easy to get her eldest child to do maths homework and they would often end up in an hour-long stand-off in the kitchen, with her pleading with the six-year-old to "just do it, why are we still here, why aren't you just doing it . . ."

After a particularly bad evening, when both had been crying "I can't do this anymore", she mentioned it to her daughter's teacher at the Educate Together School in Carrigaline, Co Cork. The teacher was shocked and said this was never the intention and if her daughter wouldn't do it after 10 minutes, she should just stop and report back.

Lawrence can laugh at the memory now as she explains this was a turning point for her adopting a more relaxed attitude to the completion of homework by her two children, now aged nine and 11. She tries to avoid having any arguments over it now.

“Generally, they are very good. They’ll come home, take a break and then do homework.” But if there are days where they’re very tired and cranky and it’s becoming a battle, Lawrence will tell them they needn’t do it but suggests they do something else, such as reading, writing a story or drawing pictures about something they are particularly interested in.

She will then write a note to say homework wasn’t completed and to explain what was done instead. “They are happy enough about that because it’s not happening every day.”

Teachers have always explained “homework is a revision thing”, she says, “so obviously it’s not vital to the future of their education that they do their homework. But when they get to secondary school it won’t be revision, it will be part of the learning process. So, I think the important thing is that they learn the responsibility of coming home and having to do it.”

She recognises there are issues with the current nature of homework, which is why she is flexible about it, but she still values it as a way of showing children the importance of independent learning and how nobody can do it for you.

Meanwhile for Miriam Meredith, the mother of four children aged 20, 10, nine and four, issues over homework was one of the reasons she took her two middle children out of school to educate them at home in Co Laois.

Matters came to a head for her second youngest child, who has a diagnosis of ASD and ADHD, while he was in second class. He was doing fine academically at school but he would really struggle with homework that involved things like putting words into sentences, or comprehension.

“It could take him over two hours to do homework,” says Meredith. She explained this to staff at the school who all said that wasn’t right but she felt nothing was being done in the long-term to sort the situation.

Although she gave her son movement breaks every 10-15 minutes, as he would get at school, he was still having meltdowns over homework, which was taking up all afternoon and meant he couldn’t go out and play with friends. He would be shouting in frustration that he didn’t want to do the work and asking why he had to do it.

“It was really out of character for him,” she says. It got to a point last June where she felt neither of the children was happy at school and that “life was too short for this”.

Considering the grief homework was causing, Meredith’s decision to home-school her children might sound counter-intuitive but she reports her son “has come on so much” over the last year. “I get things that would capture his imagination.”

When he was in school, he had an aversion to reading but now he really wants to learn. “A lot of the books that were sent home he had no interest in.”

Children need time running around, she adds, “exploring and figuring things out in a natural setting”.

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Palestinian state is recognized by several European countries: How the news unfolded

Norway, Ireland and Spain said they are recognizing a Palestinian state in a historic move that drew condemnation from Israel and jubilation from the Palestinians.

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Norway, Ireland and Spain have recognized a Palestinian state in a historic move. Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said on Wednesday it was coordinated with Spain and Norway, “an historic and important day for ... Palestine.”

Several other European countries have in the past weeks indicated that they plan to recognize a Palestinian state, arguing a two-state solution is essential for lasting peace in the region.

What to know:

• While dozens of countries have recognized a Palestinian state, none of the major Western powers has done so. The decisions from Norway, Ireland and Spain may generate momentum .
• The recognitions mark a significant accomplishment for the Palestinians, who believe it confers international legitimacy on their struggle, especially amid international outrage over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza .
• Here’s more on how and why the new European announcements could be important.

JERUSALEM — Israel’s far-right finance minister said Wednesday he would stop transferring tax revenues earmarked for the Palestinian Authority, a move that threatens to handicap the government’s already-waning ability to pay salaries to its thousands of employees.

Bezalel Smotrich said he was taking the move in retaliation, hours after Norway said it would recognize Palestinian statehood.

Under interim peace accords in the 1990s, Israel collects tax revenues on behalf of the Palestinians and transfers them to the PA, which uses them in part to pay wages.

FILE - In this June 24, 2019, file photo, Bezalel Smotrich, the then Israeli transportation minister, arrives to attend a weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. (Menahem Kahana/Pool via AP, File)

After the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Smotrich froze the transfers. In a wartime arrangement, Israel agreed to send the funds to Norway, which would then make the transfer to the PA. The internationally recognized PA administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Smotrich said Wednesday he was ending this arrangement and would request the return of funds back to Israel.

“Norway was the first to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state today and it cannot be a partner in anything related to Judea and Samaria,” he said on X, using the biblical name for the West Bank.

According to the PA, Israel has withheld the equivalent of $1.5 billion since the war erupted. The government, the largest employer in the Palestinian Territories, has only been able to pay partial salaries since the war began.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-line government opposes Palestinian independence. Smotrich, a former West Bank settler leader, has been an outspoken voice in fighting Palestinian independence efforts and strengthening settlements built on occupied land.

VALETTA, Malta — Malta’s government is ready to recognize a Palestinian state “when such recognition can make a positive contribution, and when the circumstances are right,” the Mediterranean country’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

In an emailed statement, the ministry said that authorities were monitoring developments in the Middle East to determine “the optimal timeframes” for a recognition.

Malta was among four EU states, including Ireland, Spain and Slovenia, that in March started discussions on a possible recognition of a Palestinian state. Ireland, Spain and Norway said Wednesday they were moving forward with their recognition.

“Malta has consistently persisted in its position in favour of a two-state solution that meets the aspirations of the people of Israel and Palestine, with Jerusalem as the capital of two states living side-by-side in peace and security,” Malta’s statement said.

BRUSSELS — The Belgian government was discussing whether to join three other European nations in recognizing a Palestinian state at its weekly meeting on Wednesday, and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said that any recognition needed to have the right timing.

“You can recognize only once. So when we do it, it needs to come at the right moment when it has an immediate impact. I want an impact on two issues. I want an end to violence in Gaza. I want that the hostages are freed,” he told VRT network.

“The right perspective is: will it help the violence stop tomorrow or not?”

Belgium is in a delicate situation since it currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, giving any decision it takes added diplomatic weight.

ZAGREB, Croatia — Croatia is not considering the recognition of a Palestinian state at the moment, the prime minister of the European Union nation said on Wednesday.

Andrej Plenkovic said that “Croatia’s permanent position is based on a two-state solution but in a way that would lead to an agreement,” the official HINA news agency reported.

Croatia is the newest EU member after joining the bloc in 2013, after a war that followed the country’s split from the former Yugoslav federation in 1991. The former Yugoslavia had recognized a Palestinian state in 1988 and established full diplomatic relations a year later.

JERUSALEM — Israel’s Justice Department says the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has no authority to seek arrest warrants against the country’s leaders because Israel is capable of investigating itself.

ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged crimes linked to the war in Gaza, including intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population and using starvation as a weapon of war.

Khan is also seeking warrants against three Hamas leaders over the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack that ignited the war.

Israel’s top justice officials — Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Prosecutor Amit Aisman— issued a statement on Wednesday calling the ICC allegations against Israel “unfounded.”

They said Israel’s legal offices “thoroughly examine all credible allegations of violations of the law by state officials, and enforce the law” adding that the ICC “lacks jurisdiction to conduct an investigation into the matter.”

Human right groups have long accused Israel of failing to investigate or punish its security forces over violence committed against Palestinians.

PARIS — France indicated that it isn’t ready to join other countries in recognizing a Palestinian state, even if it isn’t opposed to the idea in principle.

French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, in comments relayed by his ministry after he had a closed-door meeting Wednesday with his Israeli counterpart, said that recognizing a Palestinian state must be “useful” in pushing forward a two-state solution and suggested that doing so now won’t have a genuine impact in pursuing that goal.

“Our position is clear: recognition of Palestine is not a taboo for France,” he said. “This decision must be useful, that is to say permit decisive progress on the political level.”

He also said timing is important, arguing: “It must come at the right time so that there is a before and an after.”

“It is not just a symbolic question or an issue of political positioning, but a diplomatic tool serving the solution of two states living side by side, in peace and security,” he said. “France does not consider that the conditions were present now for this decision to have a real impact in this process.”

TEL AVIV, Israel — Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a bureaucratic order that could allow Jewish settlers to return to three evacuated settlements in the northern part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Gallant said Wednesday he would attach three evacuated settlements to the local settler regional council, the first step in allowing the settlements to apply for building permits and allow Jewish settlers to return to the area.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant pauses while making a brief statement to the media at The Kirya, Israel’s Ministry of Defense, on Oct. 16, 2023, in Tel Aviv. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool, File)

Israel evacuated the settlements along with its unilateral pullout from Gaza in 2005. Since then, Israeli citizens have been officially banned from returning to those four settlements, though the Israeli military has allowed activists to visit and pray there.

In March 2023, the government repealed the 2005 act, paving the way for an official return to the abandoned West Bank areas in another setback to Palestinian hopes for statehood.

In May 2023, Homesh, one of the four evacuated settlements, was attached to the local settler regional council and a religious Jewish school was established there.

Gallant’s announcement Wednesday applies the same status to the former settlements of Kadim, Sha-Nur, and Ganim. The head of the Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, hailed the announcements as “a moment of historical correction,” adding that the move is “necessary for the highest level of morals and security for the State of Israel, especially after Oct. 7.”

Activists with the left-wing organization Peace Now, which is opposed to settlements in the West Bank, said the move was “extremely concerning,” but noted that the approval of homes could take years.

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia – Slovenia on Wednesday hailed the recognition of an independent Palestinian state by Norway, Spain and Ireland, but stopped short of immediately following suit.

Earlier in the year, Slovenia’s government launched a recognition procedure for a Palestinian state, but the small European Union nation has said the formal step will take place when it could best contribute to a lasting peace in the Middle East.

“The Slovenian government was the first of the group of countries that signed a special declaration … to start the process of recognizing Palestine, in which we expressed expectations — not conditions — for both sides,” Prime Minister Robert Golob said in a statement. He added that “Palestinians need more than just a symbolic gesture of recognition.”

“We would like to help to reform and empower the Palestinian Authority, which will represent its population in both the West Bank and Gaza and lead it to a two-state solution, which is seen by almost the entire world as the solution to lasting peace,” said Golob.

In Slovenia, lawmakers must give the final approval for the recognition of a state.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz has ordered Israel’s ambassadors from Ireland and Norway to immediately return to Israel, as Norway said it would recognize a Palestinian state and Ireland was expected to do the same

In Jerusalem, a far-right government minister paid a provocative visit to a flashpoint holy site sacred to Jews and Muslims.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, which Jews refer to as the Temple Mount, was likely to escalate tensions across the region. He said it was a defiant response to moves by three European nations – Norway, Ireland and Spain – to recognize a Palestinian state.

Norway was the first to announce its decision, with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre saying “there cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition.”

“By recognizing a Palestinian state, Norway supports the Arab peace plan,” he said and added that the Scandinavian country will “regard Palestine as an independent state with all the rights and obligations that entails.”

JERUSALEM — Aid groups say damage to water infrastructure and fuel shortages in southern Gaza have left some Palestinians surviving on as little as a half-liter (2 cups) of water per day.

That has to cover drinking, washing and cooking, and is only 3% of the 15 liters per day that the World Health Organization says is needed for basic survival.

Palestinians line up for free food during the ongoing Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip in Rafah, Jan. 9, 2024. The United Nations said Tuesday, May 21, 2024, it suspended food distribution in the southern Gaza city of Rafah due to lack of supplies and insecurity. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali, File)

The International Rescue Committee and Medical Aid for Palestinians, which both operate in Gaza, say water-borne diseases have surged, in part because of the effect of water shortages on hygiene and sanitation.

Kiryn Lanning, who leads the IRC’s work in Gaza, says staff visited a shelter where 10,000 people only received 4,000 liters of water per day. Another shelter, housing 8,000 people, had only 12 latrines, forcing over 600 people to share a single one.

Melanie Ward, the CEO of Medical Aid for Palestinians, said she had seen “literal lakes of human waste” next to tents in Rafah. Doctors with the group say diarrhea and skin diseases are on the rise, and that children have died from dehydration and starvation.

Israel’s incursion into Rafah earlier in May has caused around 900,000 Palestinians to flee the southern city, with many seeking refuge in squalid tent camps with no plumbing and few services. It has also severely restricted the ability to provide aid in the south. Israel seized control of the Rafah border crossing at the start of its incursion, forcing it to close. That was the main entry point for fuel, which is needed to power water infrastructure, hospitals and other infrastructure.

The United Nations suspended food distribution in Rafah on Tuesday, citing lack of supplies and security threats. Some 400,000 people are still believed to be in the city.

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey welcomed Spain, Ireland and Norway’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state, calling it an important step toward the restoration of the “usurped rights of the Palestinians.”

The Turkish Foreign Ministry also said the move would help “Palestine gain the status it deserves in the international community.” Turkey would continue with efforts to press more states to recognize Palestine, the ministry said.

Spain, Ireland and Norway said Wednesday that they would recognize a Palestinian state on May 28, a step toward a long-held Palestinian aspiration that came amid international outrage over the civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip following Israel’s offensive.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks in the Spanish Parliament in Madrid, May 22, 2024. (Eduardo Parra/Europa Press via AP)

The triple and almost simultaneous decisions may generate momentum for the recognition of a Palestinian state by other EU countries and could spur further steps at the United Nations, deepening Israel’s isolation. Malta and Slovenia, which also belong to the 27-nation European Union, may follow suit.

Some 140 of 190 represented in the U.N. countries have already recognized Palestine.

▶ Here’s a look at how and why the new European announcements could be important.

LONDON — Ireland has recognized a Palestinian state, Prime Minister Simon Harris said Wednesday.

Harris called the move, coordinated with Spain and Norway, “an historic and important day for Ireland and for Palestine.”

He said the move was intended to help move the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to resolution through a two-state solution. The Irish decision will formally take effect on May 28, the government said.

BARCELONA, Spain — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says that his country will recognize a Palestinian state on May 28.

Sánchez, Spain’s Socialist leader since 2018, made the expected announcement to the nation’s Parliament on Wednesday.

Sánchez has spent months touring European and Middle Eastern countries to garner support for the recognition of a Palestinian state, as well as a possible cease-fire in Gaza. He has said several times that he was committed to the move.

Earlier in May, Spain’s Foreign Minister José Albares said he had informed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken of his government’s intention of recognizing a Palestinian state.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Wednesday that the country would formally recognize a Palestinian state, saying, “There cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has welcomed Norway’s recognition of a Palestinian state and called on other countries to follow. In a statement carried by the official WAFA news agency, he said Norway’s decision, announced Wednesday, will enshrine “the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination” and support efforts to bring about a two-state solution with Israel.

Gahr Støre said the Scandinavian country will recognize a Palestinian state as of May 28.

Norway is not a member of the European Union but mirrors its moves, and has been an ardent supporter of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestinians.

Want to use ChatGPT to help prepare for court? This is what lawyers say you should and shouldn't do

With a few quick prompts, an artificial intelligence chatbot can write a song, tell you a joke or teach you a new skill — and increasingly, people are using it to help represent themselves in court.

It's led Queensland to follow in the footsteps of Victoria, New Zealand and England in issuing guidelines on how people who aren't lawyers can use generative AI like ChatGPT responsibly.

Earlier this year in Queensland's Supreme Court, Justice Elizabeth Wilson noted a man representing himself used the program to add "flourish" to his submissions.

The plaintiff, who was awarded more than $85,000 in damages after a motorbike crash, vouched for the accuracy of his submissions, with Justice Wilson adding that ChatGPT "assisted in their organisational structure".

The guidelines released by Queensland Courts states generative AI is not a "substitute for a qualified lawyer and cannot give you tailored legal advice".

"Currently available Generative AI chatbots have been known to provide inaccurate information on Australian law," it states.

"If you choose to use Generative AI chatbots to help you with your court case, you should not rely on this as your sole or main source of legal information."

AI not being 'widely used' yet

The purpose of the guidelines is to draw awareness to the strengths and limitations of chatbots. 

That's according to Queensland Chief Justice Helen Bowskill, who says the guidelines also highlight the importance of checking for accuracy and being aware of confidentiality.

"Its capacity for effective use in court proceedings is not yet fully known, but based on what we do already know it was considered appropriate to issue guidelines for the responsible use of generative AI by non-lawyers," she says.

Chief Justice Bowskill says the most likely way AI is currently being used is for legal research, but it is hard to say what the future will hold.

"It is very much a matter of waiting and seeing how the technology develops."

The court didn't consider it necessary to publish guidelines for lawyers, with law societies thought to be better placed to address the broader implications of using AI.

Queensland University of Technology professor Anna Huggins provided recommendations to the Supreme Court judges who prepared the guidance. 

She says harnessing the benefits of AI tools, while minimising their potential risks, requires a thoughtful approach to ensure it's used responsibly and ethically.

"It's beneficial for new users of generative AI to seek to develop a basic understanding of the nature of the AI tool they are using, the dataset it's trained on, and its strengths and limitations for particular tasks," she says.

"Developing skills in writing and augmenting prompts, or instructions, for generative AI chatbots is valuable to enhance the quality of outputs."

Professor Huggins says although generative AI can help with some legal tasks, it's important for users to check the accuracy of the information is provides before relying on it.

What's the positives of having access to AI chatbots?

Queensland University of Technology associate professor Michael Guihot says generative AI can improve access to justice for those who can't afford to hire a lawyer.

"If people who previously couldn't access justice, had a problem with language or couldn't put their words into the required language, for a Statement of Claim for example, can do it now using ChatGPT I think that is a good thing," he says. 

"If we can make people speak in the language they have to in court and clear, logical structured arguments that's good thing."

Dr Guihot says he believes the benefits outweigh the potential for mistakes. 

"The risk is that we might get some citations wrong, or we might get a Statement of Claim that is not as logical as it should be but that can be addressed, rather than it doesn't go to court in the first place at all," he says.

"It may be just that we have a couple of more people who can access justice, and they've got a clear tool to help them logically structure their argument." 

He says lawyers shouldn't be making use of chatbots in the same way, but rather as a springboard to then use their own skill and judgement. 

In the United States, lawyers have been caught for relying on ChatGPT to find legal precedents, with the chatbot fabricating cases.

Where do 'real lawyers' come in?

Queensland Law Society (QLS) chief executive Matt Dunn says AI isn't disrupting the profession enormously, but has the potential to with its ability to allow lawyers to work smarter and faster.

"AI is great to be able to find information and to be able to start the job, but there's still a role for real lawyers with real experience to be able to understand the facts, understand the law, apply the law to a person's individual facts, and then come up with an informed outcome," he says.  

"It's a very big matter of discussion, and everyone's talking about it and looking at it and trying to figure out how to use it in a way that's appropriate and safe and respects all of the ethical and confidentiality obligations that practitioners have."

He says AI is useful for people to organise information, rewrite summaries, change the tone and for put the chronology of events in order.

However, his favourite analogy to explain the ability of AI is that it is like asking an actor who has played a doctor for medical advice. 

"Sometimes they'll be quite right in what they say, and it'll sound really convincing, but they're not always going to be right," Mr Dunn said.  

Mr Dunn says QLS will be releasing separate guidance on the use of AI for lawyers.

"We want our practitioners to be experimenting and trying things, but they also need to be doing it in a way that's conscious of some of the limitations," he says. 

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Is there a movement afoot in Europe to recognize Palestinian statehood?

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Spain, Norway and Ireland recognize Palestinian statehood. How might the rest of Europe respond?

Spain, Norway and Ireland said on Wednesday that they would recognize an independent Palestinian state, a joint move that experts say puts pressure on Israel and other Western countries.

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Spain, Norway and Ireland said Wednesday that they would recognize an independent Palestinian state , a joint move that experts say puts pressure on Israel and other Western countries at a critical moment in the Israel-Hamas war — but one whose import is largely unclear. 

“I do think this is more than pure symbolism,” says Mai’a Cross , dean’s professor of political science, international affairs and diplomacy, and director of the Center for International Affairs and World Cultures at Northeastern University.

While more than 140 countries recognize Palestinian statehood worldwide, many Western countries, including the U.S., do not. The United Nations, because of the international difference in opinion, has only given partial recognition , according to The Economist.  

Since the 1990s, Cross says the European Union has consistently supported both Israel’s right to exist and a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. “That’s been a very consistent, clear, codified, in-writing stance for the European Union, including all of its member states,” she says.

But as the war drags on, cracks in European opinion aren’t completely surprising, much as they may hurt the EU’s image at a moment when it is also trying to manage Russia’s war in Ukraine, Cross says. It’s possible that domestic declarations of support for Palestinian statehood among Western nations — while out of step with official EU policy — may open up diplomatic or trade channels between Palestinian leaders and those countries. 

Still, those relationships would have to navigate the broader consensus — or lack thereof.  

“The issue there is that the EU is split on this at the moment,” Cross says. “The EU is a foreign policy actor in itself, and if only some countries are recognizing Palestine, at least for the time being, then it doesn’t actually enable new trade or economic relationships at all because that is the EU’s remit.” 

Will there be a domino effect in Europe?

The news could apply pressure not just on Israel, but on other European countries as talks over a potential cease-fire deal continue to stall .  

“The fact that this seemed coordinated among the three states — I do think that’s a pressure point,” says Zinaida Miller , professor of law and international affairs at Northeastern. 

The states’ declarations come on the heels of the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor announcing that he is pursuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense minister and three Hamas leaders.

Miller says the move by the European countries shores up “what is already accepted within the international legal community, which is that the ICC does have jurisdiction” over the situation.  

The question now becomes: will more nations follow suit?

“We’ll have to see in the coming days,” Cross says. “We could see more countries come forward and recognize Palestinian statehood, but we will certainly see other EU countries not doing that.”

What does statehood mean?

Miller emphasized that the Palestinian right to self-determination — to self-government free of occupation — is the question principally at the heart of the conflict. 

“I think in American media there is a tendency to really forefront the European sign-ons,” Miller says. “And I understand why in the sense that they [the Europeans] have been more recalcitrant on this question, and thus it’s news — and is, in fact, very significant — once they sign on and make a declaration.”

She continues: “But it also tends to reinforce the idea that when Global South countries make a declaration about statehood in Palestine, that’s somehow ‘just politics’ as opposed to when European countries make such declarations.”

Celal Ozkızan , an assistant professor in international relations and politics on Northeastern’s London campus, says that while statehood was “quite a recent phenomenon” that took hold in the 20th century, it has become the “norm” in modern times.

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“When we talk about equal political representation at the international level, it happens through states,” he says.

“So in that way, statehood is really essential and all people seeking that and people fighting for that — they deserve it one way or another,” he continues. “We can discuss how as a matter of principle, but statehood is an essential part of recognition for any group of people.”

Ozkizan says he was “pessimistic” about whether the decision taken jointly by Dublin, Madrid and Oslo to recognize Palestinian statehood would have a domino effect across the capitals of Europe, but argued it was a “really important step.”

He highlights how the U.K. this year became one of Israel’s closest allies to declare it was considering recognizing a Palestinian state and French President Emmaneul Macron — while not going as far as British Foreign Secretary David Cameron — had made “a positive remark in that direction.” 

Ultimately, Ozkizan says, those living in Israel and the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank will have to work toward a domestic solution they can live with. But international recognition of Palestinian statehood can still play a part in building toward a potential peace settlement and a two-state solution, he suggests.

“I believe that this recognition of Palestinian statehood is an attempt to level the playing field to some extent, this time in favor of the Palestinian people,” he says.

He continues: “Because, if there is going to be a sustainable solution, there has to be more or less a power-symmetry. Not a perfect one, but at least relatively symmetrical power relations between two people so that they can compromise.”

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