Please enjoy this opinion article from DMHS's "Introduction to Journalism" class!
Homework has been a big argument between teachers and students for a while. Students continuously don't want the homework they are given, and teachers keep giving it. Society thinks giving homework is a necessity for a child to have a good, worthwhile education. Is homework really a factor in good education?
There is a difference between homework a student has been given specifically to do while not in class, and work a student didn’t finish in class and now has to do at home. One has been given to the student to do during their free time, and the other has been given to a student to do during class time but they didn't finish it, so it now becomes their responsibility; in this case it is ok for a student to have homework. If the teacher gives a student extra work to do at home, depending on how much, and what it’s for it is unreasonable.
When you ask a student what the main thing that causes them stress is, it is likely they will say homework. Challenge Success (a group that helps give students a voice) had 50,000 high school students take a survey that asked what the most stressful thing about school was. 56% of students reported that they feel they have too much homework. They were also asked how much time they spend on homework a night, and on average that 56% of students spent 2 hours a night and 3 hours on weekends doing homework. That is 13 hours a week spent on homework!
Studies from Challenge Success show that Homework has little to no effect on test scores in fact, students who have less homework, or homework of their choosing do better on test scores. This is because homework can be too advanced, repetitive, or confusing. For example, when a student gets a math packet with similar word problems to do every night, they are going to get tired of it. Students are more likely to do well on things they are passionate about than on things they aren't.
Homework can be stressful enough, but for students who have extracurriculars, like sports or music, it can be extra difficult. Studies have shown that kids need time to exercise, sleep, and let their mind be creative. In fact, the average kid needs 8-10 hours of sleep a night. With 7-8 hour school days, 2 hours of sports or other activities, and 2 hours of homework, that is 12 hours of a student's day taken up. Both exercise and sleep are necessities. Being without either can cause stress just as homework can, and having too much homework doesn’t leave time for sleep or exercise.
For little kids who have a harder time focusing it can be a problem for parents to have to help them night after night. Teacher Samantha Hulsman says that parents have complained to her about their students having so much homework. “30 minutes of homework assignments turns into a three-hour battle with their kids.” It can be hard for parents to have to help their kids with homework after a long day of work. Teachers should also consider that not all kids have a loving home environment to do homework in.
Some researchers say there should be 10 min of homework per grade. So 10 min for first graders, 20 min for second graders and so on. This holds a problem for upperclassmen as 12th graders are going to have 120 min a night which is still a lot of homework.
Public elementary schools in Marion County, Florida banned homework for their students; “Instead students read for 20 min a night.” This allows children to choose books that they are interested in, while their mind explores new worlds, history, true stories, etc…
Should teachers rethink homework? Yes, especially in elementary schools. If teachers do decide to give out homework, they should think carefully about what their extensions are. There is a fine line between the appropriate amount of homework, and too much homework.
Marisol Kennedy is a 9th grader at DMHS. She enjoys listening to music and being with family.
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