Parents off the hook with homework

London: Many parents dread being asked to help with their children's homework. Not only does it involve cajoling uncooperative youngsters to knuckle down to study after a tiring day at school, but it has its own challenges for mothers and fathers alike.

A recent study found parents avoid helping their children with maths homework because they don't understand it.

The survey, commissioned by Random House Group, into 1,000 British parents of children aged between six and 11, revealed a third tried not to assist with maths.

Forty one per cent were unable to provide the correct answer to a question that a ten-year-old might be expected to solve in a national test, and 79 per cent admitted that trying to help with maths homework led to conflict and argument. Justine Roberts, of advice website Mumsnet, has also previously warned that parents sometimes "do more harm than good" because they can confuse children "by teaching them in a completely different way to the way their teachers teach them".

Novel solution

Former TV executives Helen Royle and Teresa Watts believe they have found a novel solution to the problem.

Yesterday, the pair launched the country's first video-based online teaching tool, Stuckonhomework.com

The website provides maths homework help for GCSE students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, through more than 200 short video lessons featuring Rebecca Johnson, who is head of maths at Colston's School in Bristol.

The teacher takes pupils through the entire GCSE maths curriculum in bite-sized lessons, varying from two to ten minutes. For example, pupils can log on to a lesson about trigonometry or Pythagoras' Theorem.

It enables pupils to watch, listen and complete their maths homework, even rewinding back to the bits they still do not understand. Afterwards, they can take part in a quick test which assesses whether they have grasped the concepts.

An online message board also allows social networking so pupils can ask each other for help with their homework and share tips. The site operates on a subscription basis, with access available through an annual subscription of £73 (Dh439).

 Do you help your children with their homework? Do you find it easy or difficult? Has education advanced to far for parents to be of help? Tell us what you think by posting a comment below.