The Abolishment of Homework
By: Steven Lobao
Homework has been used in all grades and schools. The reason for homework is to allow students to practice what they are learning in school at home. Many people believe homework is beneficial, but homework is useless for many reasons. Schools should put less attention on homework and more on in class learning. Students should receive less or no homework because they have little time, homework is proven to be unhealthy, and homework limits students from studying.
There have been many studies conducted on the negative effects of homework. There are many reasons one can think of to abolish homework. But almost all studies share a few key details. One of these details is the unhealthy effects of homework. Students can receive up to 6 or even 7 classes worth of homework. With all that going into one backpack, it can get quite heavy. On average students in the sixth grade were carrying backpacks weighing 18.4 pounds with some weighing up to 30, based on a study conducted by The American Academy of Pediatrics. If a sixth grader’s backpack can weigh up to 30 pounds, imagine how much a high schooler's backpack can weigh. Homework not only causes physical harm, it can also cause mental harm. Too much homework can lead to stress. 56% of students considered homework a primary source of stress compared to 44%, based on a study conducted by a Stanford researcher. Homework can lead to many other bad health effects. For example, homework can lead to sleep deprivation, headaches, exhaustion, weight loss, and stomach problems. Overall the negative effects outweigh the very few positive effects. Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education expressed her view on homework when she said, "This kind of busy work, by its very nature, discourages learning and instead promotes doing homework simply to get points."
There are many solutions for this issue. One of the most obvious solutions for this problem is to just abolish homework altogether. However that would be a big step for a school to take. Schools such as Wilmington High School have taken a step that involves giving students a free block to do homework, projects, or meet with teachers. Although this compromise does not get rid of homework it still gives students more time in school so they can spend less time on homework out of school. One solution is a teacher can decide homework less than they usually would. For example a teacher could assign homework only 5 times a month. One solution that could benefit students is making some homework optional so if a student is struggling with the topic he or she can do the homework while the other students can choose not to. One solution is to make homework countless. For example, in Vermont, the Colchester School District now makes homework count for only 10% of a grade, instead of the previous 40%. And no longer are kids kept in from recess if they don't do their homework.
My personal solution would be to get rid of homework altogether, but make worksheets optional for students who need help. Along with the optional homework I would still keep the free period for projects. Also the free period could be used as a time for students to seek help from one of their teachers. One statistic I gathered from my research is 4 out of 5 students enjoyed having the free period. Schools would most likely be against getting rid of homework in a day, but the abolishment of homework can develop over time. As years go on teachers could begin giving less and less homework until they feel it makes sense to make the jump to no homework. All in all, homework should be exterminated over time, and a free period should be in every school, except for the younger grades in which the students would have less work.
The negative effects of homework outweigh the positive effects greatly. Homework can lead to many health impaling results. Homework leads to excess stress, sleep deprivation, headaches, and heavy backpacks can cause back pain. There are many possible solutions that schools can implant to reduce or totally obliterate the negative effects of homework. Homework should not be present in a student's schedule, and less homework could lead to better grades on in school work.
Sources
1. http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/down-homework
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