Atwater, in his article Top 10 Reasons Homework should be Banned, gives an example of a sixteen-year-old student from Italy who was asked to write a critique of an English poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The stated poem was written in archaic English which the student could barely understand. Explaining a poem that one has to make reference of most of the words used makes it really mentally exhausting and at the end of it all the student could barely remember what the poem was about. This is also applicable to a student who lives in a neighborhood where there is a lot of violence. The student in question will struggle to understand the heavy terms and still try their best not to get distracted by the chaos outside their home. Homework can be such a tasking task that has sparked a lot of debate.
It is because examples such as those stated above that homework should be abolished. Students spend hours in school attending classes and doing their best to be attentive and focused in all their classes. Many of them cringe at the mention of homework and many more disagree with it. This essay seeks to highlight reasons that justify the abolishment of homework in learning institutions.
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Homework should be abolished because it deprives students the ability to develop their other skills (Costley, 3). Hours and hours of assignments from the various subjects that students take do not allow them to have any free time after school hours. Students should be given an opportunity to focus on co-curricular activities and their passions at a tender age. Those who love sports should be allowed to develop their sporting skills because today there are sportspersons who are reaping the benefits of developing their sporting skills as they earn millions of dollars doing what they love. Individuals who are gifted in arts such as music and acting are also benefiting from pursuing their passions. Spending hours in school and more hours doing homework does not give students ample time to focus on other skills since they are worn out at the end of the day and eventually the week.
Homework should be done away with because it eats on family time. Parents or guardians need time to interact with their children every day. Spending time together strengthens the bonds between family members. Some of the effects of spending quality time together include better grades, minimized substance abuse, improved social competence and mental health (Bowen, 1). According to Houston ISD (12), not assigning homework to students give parents time to have dinner together, read and play outside as a family. Homework reduces precious time with the family and limits the freedom that children have. This freedom will give them an opportunity to learn life-skills outside their classrooms (13).
Homework is considered a chore that urges learners to believe that school is disengaging and boring (Gatens). Most students do not enjoy homework and many find it stressful and a wastage of time. It is because of this reason that some students will wait until the last minute and copy the answers from their friends (Atwater). Others will find fellow students who may be willing to earn a little money from doing the homework. It encourages dishonesty and procrastination. Most students do not take their homework seriously which will result in minimal or no improvement in their studies. Some will feel like homework is a form of slavery. If it is not done well, the student will have lower grades. If not done at all, there will be a punishment as a consequence.
Teachers who are not able to cover the whole curriculum take advantage of homework (Atwater). Some of them will request students to read and summarize an entire topic or subtopic that they will not be able to teach. This is especially disadvantageous to students who are slow learners and need a tutor to explain concepts in order for them to understand. They will feel stretched and overworked beyond their abilities. This will lead to no academic benefit (Abeles). Students who will copy the summaries from their fellow students will altogether not understand the topic. Teachers should take time and organize themselves so that they can avoid telling students to teach themselves when it comes to certain topics.
Homework favors specific groups of students because not all students live in environments that are conducive for them to do homework (Atwater). Students who live in poor backgrounds where they do not have constant electricity will have a hard time trying to do their homework. Those from violent neighborhoods will struggle with focusing on their assignments. Students whose parents are not well learned will not have anyone to help them understand the course content in case they get stuck. Those with limited resources such as books or a steady presence of the internet in their houses will suffer more. Some students come from large families and noisy neighborhoods which will distract students. Students should be allowed to do all their academic learning at school so that the playing field is equalized. In case of any reading at home, it will be out of their own volition.
Homework is also hectic for teachers. Teachers have to spend hours grading the assignments. The abolishing of homework will improve the lives of teachers as well. They will not be forced to carry assignments home as well for grading. This will create time for them to engage in other activities. It can cause stress to the teachers because it is painfully repetitive to mark a minimum of thirty assignments per class per subject. It is even worse if the assignment is handwritten and the teacher is struggling to read the handwriting (Atwater).
Homework affects the health of students (Atwater). Children are likely to suffer from stress and health-related symptoms because homework causes additional stress (Costley, 3). Their sleeping patterns will also be affected because they spend long hours doing their assignments and very few hours sleeping. This could lead to insomnia among students. This affects their concentration in class as they will be struggling to stay awake rather than grasping concepts. Homework should be abolished because the health of students is at stake. Their emotional, mental (Houston ISD, 13) and physical health is crucial in their development and should not be affected negatively. Students take long hours in a sitting position which can lead to back problems. Others will suffer from migraines during to stress and many other who use laptops and mobile phones to research and do their homework may develop eye problems. These are issues that children should not be subjected to at an early age. They should live a healthy life.
In spite of the negative aspects of homework, there are benefits to having students do their homework. According to Houston ISD (16), homework are linked to better results. Students who take homework seriously are able to benefit from it. They are able to revise what they learned in school and even research more on it. The other benefits of doing homework include the inculcating of a sense of responsibility in the lives of students. They are able to ensure they complete their work and that it is well done. It also teaches them how to manage their time. Children are able to organize themselves and ensure that they create time for homework, chores, playing and socializing with family and friends. They are able to also learn perseverance. This is because, with the workload that they have, perseverance is inculcated in them (20).
Homework can be beneficial to students if it is done in the right manner. Homework given should not add stress to the children. The amount of work given should also be reasonable and manageable for them. It is essential that homework improves the attitude of students towards school and towards the particular subjects. The positive attitude will make the students more receptive to school work and will inculcate good virtues such as honesty and integrity where students do not have to copy from one another but will work hard to earn their grades.
Homework should be abolished. This is because once it is abolished, the attitude of teachers and students towards school will become more positive. Students and teachers will be able to maximize their time and use if effectively. They will be able to become better versions of themselves. Children will be able to grow and develop without any negative effects and positively interacting with their friends and family. Their health will be better and their view of life will change. They should also be encouraged to focus in class because what they learn in school is more important compared to the homework they do. In school, they are able to ask questions, discuss with their peers and learn from one another. They will be able to value the time spent in school more because it will be dedicated to learning. The negative effects outweigh the positive effects of homework. If put to a vote, most teachers, parents, and children will vote for the abolishment of homework.
Works Cited
Abeles, Vicky. Why I Think All Schools Should Abolish Homework, (2017). Time. Retrieved from http://www.time.com
Atwater, James. Top 10 Reasons Homework Should Be Banned. Retrieved from https://www.listland.com
Bowen, Anne. The Importance of Family Quality Time for Families and Children with Special Health Care Needs. Wyoming Family to Family Health Information Center, (2013).p 1. Retrieved from http://www.uwyo.edu/wind/f2f
Costley, Kevin, C. Does Homework Really Improve Achievement? Arkansas Tech University.
Gatens, Brian. Don’t Abolish Homework: Just Make Sure It’s Worthwhile. Concordia University – Portland. Retrieved from https://education.cu-portland.edu
Houston ISD. Novice Debate Resource Packet. (2016) Retrieved from https://www.houston.org
