Our new research shows how important homework is but how hard it can be to do. Read what a young person called Marie, O2 and Chipmunk are doing about it.
What’s the problem?
New research, commissioned by O2’s Think Big youth programme, reveals that almost two thirds of 11-18 year olds admit to needing to do up to two hours more homework per week to succeed at school.*
What’s the solution?
The research coincides with the launch of a new national campaign, the brainchild of 25 year old London youth worker Marie Perryman backed by Chipmunk. Together they are calling for the establishment of homework clubs across the UK to help young people who are struggling to commit enough time to homework due to factors such as lack of support or cramped living environments. Marie’s own experience running a homework club in London convinced her that something needed to be done to support those who find it difficult to study outside of the classroom.
With funding and support from O2’s Think Big youth programme, Marie is now launching a nationwide drive to inspire young people across the UK to form their own community based homework clubs. She has created a video ‘how to’ guide to help other young people deliver this vitally important service to local communities.
Why aren’t people doing their homework?
When it comes to why young people are failing to do enough homework, the research highlighted a number of key barriers:
- more than one in ten (13 per cent) youngsters cited lack of appropriate space at home, with almost 1 in 20 (4 per cent) sharing a bedroom with a sibling
- a fifth (20 per cent) complained of difficulty studying alone
- almost half (43 per cent) said their hectic lifestyles didn’t allow enough time for homework
- A shortage of parental encouragement was also a big issue for many youngsters, with almost a quarter (23 per cent) of young people complaining of a lack of support at home
Who’s Marie?
Marie is one of four inspirational young people passionate about tackling important issues in our society who are being backed by O2 through major nationwide campaigns to make their voice heard. Through Think Big, O2 is committed to investing in young people to help them take positive action in their communities. To date O2 has backed around 900 youth led projects.
What’s Marie have to say about all this?
“Homework plays a big role in a young person’s academic development, but all too often young people who fail to complete homework are written off as lazy and disinterested, when in reality, many youngsters just need a bit of extra support and encouragement when they leave the school gates.
“With the support of O2 Think Big, I pioneered a weekly drop-in study group for young people in south London. Designed by young people for young people, we provide space and resources for youngsters to come together and complete homework assignments in a fun, supportive environment. The next step starts now. With the launch of this campaign, I want to inspire young people to use the resources we’ve created to start their own homework clubs.”
Why’s Chipmunk involved?
Marie’s campaign is backed by British songwriter and hip-hop artist Chipmunk, one of the country’s best known music artists, Chipmunk is a passionate advocate of encouraging young people to work hard in school and out of school to achieve their goals.
“From an early age, I struggled to balance the competing demands of school, my love of football and obviously music. But my parents kept me focused and encouraged me to work hard. Not everybody has that support and lots of kids need extra help to stay on track at school.
“When you’re 15 or 16 you’ve got lots going on in your life and homework is not always high on your list of things to do, especially if you’ve not got someone at home in your ear. With the help of O2 Think Big, Marie came up with a great solution – providing young people with a chilled out space where they can hang out together and help each other. Now I want to
help her get the message out to other young people so they can follow in her footsteps and create their own homework clubs.”
O2 is backing Marie’s campaign with an ad that will be shown in cinemas across the UK documenting the story of how she founded her first homework club in London. To find out more about Marie’s campaign and to view her ‘how to’ video guide to creating a community homework club go to www.o2thinkbig.co.uk
Have a look at what other people have said about us:
The Huffington Post UK
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/09/12/government-think-tank-two_n_957942.html
Like A VIP
http://www.livelikeavip.com/2011/09/12/chipmunks-and-charities-our-interview-with-chipmunk/
press enquiries
press enquiries