Homework, School and Two Karate Classes a Week: A Realistic Routine for Kartal Families

When a child asks to join a sport, many parents in Kartal and Yakacık have the same worry: evenings are for homework, and there are only so many of them. That deserves a practical answer, not a sales pitch.

At Kartal Karate Academy the karate class for all ages runs on Tuesday and Saturday, 18:00–19:00, at Yakacık Spor Kulübü, and children can join from age 5. That is two evening hours a week; everything else below is yours to adjust.

What the school week already asks

Under the Ministry of National Education's decision no. 04 of 09.05.2025, pupils in grades 5 to 8 have 35 lessons a week, only 2 of them physical education. Homework then adds more sitting at home.

The World Health Organization recommends that children aged 5 to 17 average at least 60 minutes a day of moderate-to-vigorous activity, with vigorous activity on at least 3 days a week, and limit recreational screen time. The Turkish Ministry of Health's guide sets the same target and caps screens at 2 hours a day for children over 5.

Two one-hour classes give about 2 of the roughly 7 hours a week the WHO has in mind. Karate can be one steady part of the week, not the whole answer.

Does an evening of sport cost grades?

A 2008 summary of studies by Trudeau and Shephard found that up to an extra hour a day of physical activity for primary pupils, even when taken from other lessons, did not lower their academic performance. A 2016 systematic overview by Donnelly and colleagues for the American College of Sports Medicine found benefits for children's thinking skills, mixed effects on achievement, and no sign that active time harms either. A 2017 meta-analysis by Álvarez-Bueno and colleagues, covering 26 studies of children aged 4 to 13, found small benefits for maths, reading and overall scores and a larger one for staying on task in class.

Now the caveats. Most of this research looked at activity during the school day, and few studies examined after-school programmes, so none of it is direct evidence about two club classes a week. Karate-specific evidence is thin too: a 2026 scoping study by Torzsa and colleagues found it too early to draw conclusions about whether karate programmes work.

So we will not promise better grades. The honest point is narrower: there is no sign that a sensible amount of activity costs children their schoolwork.

A sample week for a middle-school pupil

This assumes a full-day school and a child in grades 5 to 8.

Sunday evening

• Spend ten minutes looking at the week together: tests, projects, anything due midweek.
• Decide which homework gets done before Tuesday's class and which after.

Tuesday, a class day

• After school, a snack and a short rest, then the hardest subject while your child is still fresh.
• Stop in good time to get to class without rushing. Class runs 18:00–19:00.
• Afterwards: dinner, then only light work, such as reading and packing the school bag.

The other school evenings

• These carry the longer homework blocks and test preparation. Keep Friday light.
• Add a short walk or bike ride where you can; two classes are not enough movement on their own.

Saturday, a class day

• Keep the day for rest, family or a weekend course that ends well before 18:00.
• After class, the evening is free.

For younger primary-school children the issue is usually tiredness rather than homework. If a five- or six-year-old is worn out on Tuesday evenings, starting with Saturday alone for a few weeks is sensible. If your school runs an afternoon shift, check when lessons end before counting on Tuesday.

Homework before or after class?

There is no single right answer; watch your own child for a few weeks.

• If your child comes home from class tired, do the demanding work before class and keep the evening for light tasks.
• If your child cannot settle after school, try a short active break before homework.
• Keep the same homework start time on class days, so the class fits the routine instead of breaking it.
• If class nights keep running late, cut screen time before you cut sleep or the class.
• If homework battles come with ongoing attention problems, talk to your child's doctor or the school counselling service first. A sport class is not a treatment: in a 2024 trial by Pinto-Escalona and colleagues, where karate replaced school PE for a year, children showed small gains in teacher-reported grades but no difference in attention or hyperactivity.

When two classes a week is too much

Say no, or not yet, if Tuesday clashes with something that matters more, or if your child still dreads going after a fair trial of six to eight weeks. One class a week is still worth having. If your child would rather play football or swim, the WHO target counts any activity, and a sport your child enjoys and sticks with beats the one you picked. The LGS year is its own decision: some families keep a class as a fixed break from studying, others pause, and both are reasonable.

See it before you decide

Our guide for parents at karatekartal.fit/en/karate-benefits-for-children covers what karate can and cannot do for children. You are welcome to watch a whole class from the side of the mat before you decide, and the first class is free. When you are ready, register at karatekartal.fit/en/register.

Sources

• Trudeau F, Shephard RJ (2008). Physical education, school physical activity, school sports and academic performance. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 5:10. doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-5-10
• Donnelly JE et al. (2016). Physical Activity, Fitness, Cognitive Function, and Academic Achievement in Children: A Systematic Review. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 48:1197-1222. doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000901
• Álvarez-Bueno C et al. (2017). Academic Achievement and Physical Activity: A Meta-analysis. Pediatrics 140:e20171498. doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-1498
• Bull FC et al. (2020). World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine 54:1451-1462. doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955
• T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı (2014). Türkiye Fiziksel Aktivite Rehberi, 2nd edition. Ankara.
• Torzsa T et al. (2026). Karate interventions in children and adolescents: a scoping review of psychosocial and cognitive outcomes. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 8:1840595. doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2026.1840595
• Pinto-Escalona T et al. (2024). Effects of a school-based karate intervention on academic achievement, psychosocial functioning, and physical fitness: A multi-country cluster randomized controlled trial. Journal of Sport and Health Science 13(1):90-98. doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2021.10.006