Parents in the UK 'struggle to help with homework'

More than four in five parents struggle to help their child with homework, a survey found yesterday.

Over a fifth (22 per cent) said they are frequently unable to help because they do not understand the task or have forgotten how to do it, according to a poll by the Government's technology agency Becta.

Six in 10 (61 per cent) said they occasionally, or once or twice, had been unable to help.

A third (33 per cent) said being unable to offer assistance had made them feel embarrassed or like a bad parent. The poll, which questioned 2,000 parents and 2,000 children aged nine to 13, showed that parents found maths the most difficult to help with, followed by science.

Some eight in 10 parents (81 per cent) said they would like more guidance on how they can help their child with homework or revision.

Three in 10 of the children (29.8 per cent) questioned said they ask their parents for help most days, while one in six (16.9 per cent) asks every day.

More than a third (36.8 per cent) said that sometimes they cannot finish their homework as there is no one to help them.

And a similar proportion (38.5 per cent) said a lack of help meant they took 30 minutes or longer to finish their homework than expected.

Niel McLean, executive director of Becta, said: "Becta believes that when used effectively both in schools and at home, technology can be extremely beneficial to a child's education.

Schools benefit from proactive involvement from parents and if children feel they are getting the right support from the schools and families, this has a positive effect on their grades.