SHOULD SCHOOLS BAN HOMEWORK?
Why do we get homework? Don’t get me
wrong, most homework is relatively okay.
When it comes to revising for a test or
maybe finishing off classwork that wasn’t
completed in the hour of a lesson, I`d say
that’s acceptable because it`s worthwhile.
But there is a lot of pointless homework
which is only set because the timetable
says to.
Research has shown that some students
regularly receive higher amounts of
homework than experts recommend,
which may cause stress and negative
health effects. From reception to the final
years of high school, it is shown that
students are getting excessive amounts of
homework. When students are pushed to
handle a workload that’s out of sync with
their development level, it can lead to
significant stress — for children and their
parents.
What should we be doing instead?
Homework takes up the extra time that
young teens would prefer to spend doing
extra-curricular activities, which can also
help later in life.
While there are many reasons why
homework is a great way to improve
learning, there is research that shows
70% of businesses believe extra-curricular
activities make job-seeking school leavers
and graduates stand out from the crowd.
In addition, nearly two-thirds feel that
candidates with such experience tend to
be more successful employees and
progress more quickly in their careers.
This proves my point: homework can be a
waste of a teen’s important time which
could be spent creating opportunities to do
things outside of school that you wouldn’t
normally have the chance to do.
Many students feel forced or obligated to
choose homework over developing other
talents or skills because otherwise they
will not have enough time to complete all
the work they have been set. Students
were more likely to forgo activities, stop
seeing friends or family and not participate
in hobbies.
“Too much homework can cause
stress, depression and lower grades”
When it comes to stress, more than 70%
of students said they were “often or
always stressed over schoolwork,” with
56% listing homework as a primary
stressor. Less than 1% of the students
said homework was not a stressor.
In 2013, research conducted found that
students in high-achieving communities
who spend too much time on homework
experience more stress, physical health
problems, a lack of balance in their lives
and alienation from society.
Should school and home be a separate
place?
In my opinion school is a place where you
try your best in all your school work and is
also the best place that you could
concentrate and get the most help in the
work that you are doing. But when I get
home at 4 o’clock and some students
don’t get home until 6 or even later, it’s not
a time that I want to spend doing even
more work after being at school all day.
I would prefer to keep schoolwork at
school and let home be a place where I let
myself relax and not have to worry about
upcoming lessons and when the next
homework’s are due.
What do teachers think
about homework?
There was quite a
contrast of answers
when we asked around
Rishworth School
for the opinion of
whether we do get too
little or too much
homework. Our History
Teacher said on the
whole we do get too
much homework
because the work in class can be
challenging and children need a break
from school to do extra-curricular
activities. However, one of the Maths
Teachers believe we don’t get enough
homework and pupils need to be pushed.
Although all the teachers were in
agreement that the purpose of homework
is to consolidate and strengthen students’
minds. Many of the students surprisingly
didn’t think we got enough homework,
such as Sarah and Tom, who thought we
weren’t being pushed enough and needed
challenging and preparing more for exams
later in life.
Although some people thought the amount
of homework we get, such as Isabelle and
Joe, who think the amount we get causes
stress, limits us from showing our full
potential.
So is homework a bad thing?
Although many teachers think homework
is a positive contribution to education, it is
scientifically proven that an overload of
homework can cause damaging effects on
stress and health for young student; but
homework isn’t a bad thing providing
pupils are given the right amount per
week.
Mia & Maddy