A wave of frustration is sweeping through Nigerian homes as parents continue to voice strong concerns over the volume and complexity of homework given to their children by schools nationwide.
This outcry, which has flooded various social platforms, is rooted in the belief that many of the assignments are too difficult for the children and are ultimately left for parents to complete.
The complaints, which have gone viral since early April 2025, stem from working-class and less-educated parents, who say they are overwhelmed by the pressure of daily homework.
One parent, Mama Annie, expressed her anger in a video, stating that she was tired of doing her children’s homework assignments. She questioned why schools expect parents to find answers to advanced math questions, such as “find X,” when the children are still learning basic concepts.
She explained that when her children bring work home, she refers them to their father, who then redirects them back to her, leaving her responsible.
Another parent, posting under the name Iamxpectedofficial, also criticised the teaching staff at his children’s school.
He said that giving assignments the children cannot handle defeats the purpose of sending them to school.
He argued that if parents are expected to do the assignments daily, they might as well return to school themselves.
The sentiment was echoed by a third parent, Titi of LDS, who questioned the logic behind teaching a child basic arithmetic in class and then giving them advanced algebra as homework.
She pointed out that while parents pay school fees, they are often forced to take on the academic burden that is meant for teachers.
Teachers, however, offered some perspective.
A primary school teacher identified as Emmanuel explained that assigning homework is a longstanding tradition to keep children engaged after school hours.
He said the intention is not to punish parents but to keep the students mentally active.
Reacting to the complaints, Michael Sule, the Chairman and Proprietor of Micray Progressive School, admitted that some teachers design homework that is beyond the pupils’ capabilities.
He shared a personal experience where a nursery pupil was instructed to write numbers from 1 to 1,000, even though the child had only just learned to write numbers up to 10.
Sule maintained that any task a child cannot complete in class should not be given as homework, adding that overwhelming children with 20 math questions is excessive and ineffective.
On his part, Yussuf Oriyomi, Chairman of Voyage International School, recommended that schools and parents come together to agree on a more practical approach to homework through Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meetings.
He suggested a formula where only two subjects are assigned during weekdays and possibly three over the weekend, saying collaboration is key to achieving better learning outcomes.
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