French President Promises to Outlaw Homework

French President Francois Hollande has been making good on a slew of campaign promises since taking office—like this, and this, and this—and now he's making headlines as he turns to education. The reason? He pledged this week to ban homework, reports France24. "Work should be done at school, rather than at home,” he said, adding that students who don't get much help from their parents at home end up at an unfair disadvantage in the classroom. He also plans to reduce the number of kids held back each year.

But if French pupils aren't cheering, here's why: Hollande also wants to extend the school week from four days—most French kids have off on Wednesdays—to four and a half days. The current four-day week isn't the cushy treatment it may sound like, explains the AP. Students in France stay in school until about 5 or 6pm, and Hollande thinks it makes more sense to shorten the days and lengthen the week. (More Francois Hollande stories.)