Holiday homework, only 1 in 5 students did it all without copying. But last-minute catch-up is attempted

A race against time, before the professors ask for an account of what was done in the summer. This is what many students are engaged in these days. Because, although the school year has started everywhere, as many as 8 out of 10 have presented themselves when they return to their desks without having completed their holiday homework, now interpreted more as a punishment than a way to keep their minds exercised during the months when classes are over. So, right now, almost everyone is attempting the feat of not having any holes when it comes time to hand them over to the teacher on duty: among the 'negligent', more than 9 out of 10 promise to make an effort to do as much as possible. A survey by the portal Skuola.net, carried out by polling 1,500 middle and high school pupils, reports this state of the art.

Taking a step back, to what should have been (but was not), only 21% of the respondents, during the summer break, carried out all the teachers' assignments to the letter, to have them ready when the first bell rang. It must be said, however, that many others were on the right track, as about half (49%) said they had completed most of the assignments. Almost a third, however, have decided to take a big risk: 14% say they have done less than half, 16% little or nothing at all. With higher proportions of girls and boys having done all that was assigned (25%) or at least most of the exercises (55%), while less than 1 in 10 admitted to having totally ignored the question.

High school students, among whom laziness or hostility prevailed, raised the average figure for summer homework refractors: only 19% completed it all, 36% almost not at all, and even 1 in 5 did not even start. Because, often, there is trickery behind them.

Indeed, there are many pupils who have resorted to the old method to speed up their practice: copying. 76% of those interviewed confess to having helped themselves to external resources. On average, 16% - significantly less in middle school (10%), slightly more in high school (19%) - copied practically everything; 60% indulged in a few peeks here and there. Barely 1 in 4 swore that the holiday homework was all their own doing. The aim of the students, after all, is not so much to stay in practice as to have the papers in order for the professors to check them. This is why, as mentioned, only a tiny 6% claim not to care about the teachers' judgement. All the others, on the other hand, are taking advantage of the first few days of lessons, in theory softer, to make up for lost ground. Of those who have not completed the mission, 44% are certain they will make it in time for the assignment, 43% hope to succeed, to which is added a 7% who, unwilling to bend to the logic of holiday homework, are copying the exercises from scratch. Because, except in rare cases, there is no alternative: homework must be done. On this even the families do not compromise.

Although many parents reiterate their opposition to summer assignments, they also realise that once the assignment has been made, the teacher's wishes must be respected. Just make a simple comparison: more than 40% of mothers and fathers oppose holiday homework, but only 3% have allowed their children not to do it; 10% have tried to give them a hand in carrying it out; 28% have forced them to do it without giving any practical support.The commitment, therefore, must be honoured. Even at the cost of having extra baggage to take on holiday. More than half of the students, in fact, had to pack school materials even during the period spent away from home: more than a third (36%) directly packed books and exercise books; another 20% limited themselves to reading, at least on those days.