Unveiling Why Homework Should not be Banned?

Why Homework Should not be Banned

  • Post author By admin
  • August 18, 2023

Discover the compelling reasons why homework should not be banned in schools. Explore how homework fosters skills, responsibility, and academic growth. Learn why removing homework might hinder students’ development.

Hey there, homework haters and education enthusiasts alike! We’re about to dive into a topic that’s stirred up a storm in schools and households – should homework be banned?

Yep, you’ve heard those whispers, but hold up! Before we jump into conclusions, let’s have a friendly chat about why homework might still have a place in our learning journey.

So, grab your thinking cap and let’s explore why bidding farewell to homework might not be as straightforward as it seems. Ready? Let’s roll!

Table of Contents

Why Homework Matters?

Have a close look at why homework matters.

Practice Makes Perfect

Homework is like your personal practice arena. It’s where you put into action all the cool stuff you learned in class. Remember acing that math problem after solving it at home? Yep, that’s the feeling of triumph you get.

Time Management Champ

Homework is your time management coach. Figuring out when to tackle assignments shows you how to balance work and play. And trust us, that’s a skill you’ll be thanking homework for later in life.

Real-Life Prep

Life’s not just textbooks and exams. Homework gets you ready for the real world. Whether it’s managing tasks or juggling responsibilities, those lessons learned while tackling assignments will come in handy.

Independent Thinker

Homework transforms you into an independent thinker. It’s like you’re in a ninja training program for your brain. You learn to tackle problems on your own and unravel solutions like a clever detective.

Brain Booster

It’s not about rote memorization. Homework is your brain’s workout session. It pushes your mind to think critically, analyze situations, and come up with creative solutions. Your brain gets stronger, and so do your thinking skills.

Study Smart

Homework is your study lab. It’s where you discover your ideal study conditions. Do you need complete silence or a bit of background music? Are you a day-time studier or a midnight genius? Homework helps you figure it all out.

Family Talk

Homework turns your family into co-learners. When you chat about your assignments, it’s like having mini-lessons at home. You get to share what you’re learning and maybe even teach them a thing or two.

Homework sometimes gives you a preview of the future. You’ll read ahead, and suddenly in class, it’s like you’ve got superpowers. You’ll be answering questions like a champion and impressing everyone.

See Your Progress

Homework is your progress tracker. As you tackle assignments, you’ll notice how much you’ve learned and improved. Those “Aha!” moments are like high-fives from yourself, reminding you how awesome you are.

No More Forgetfulness

Homework is your memory’s best friend. It keeps all those amazing facts and formulas fresh in your mind. So when you need them for a test or just to impress your friends, they’re right there, ready to roll.

So, don’t look at homework as a mountain of boredom. It’s your secret weapon to becoming a learning superhero, one assignment at a time!

20 Reasons Why Homework Should not be Banned

Have a close look at 20 reasons why homework should not be banned.

Reinforces Learning

Homework isn’t just a chore – it’s your personal practice arena. Just like a soccer player practices their kicks, you practice what you’ve learned in class.

Remember that tricky math equation? Homework gives you a chance to tackle it again, making sure it stays in your brain for the long haul.

Builds Responsibility

Imagine you’re the captain of a spaceship. Completing homework on time is like steering that spaceship – you’re in charge!

When you meet homework deadlines, you’re showing responsibility, a superpower that makes you reliable in school and beyond.

Prepares for Real Life

Life isn’t always a smooth ride. Homework is like your training wheels for life’s challenges. Whether it’s taking out the trash or finishing a project at work, homework teaches you to manage tasks, no matter how busy life gets.

Boosts Independence

Homework turns you into a learning ninja. You’re like a detective hunting for clues on your own. When you figure things out without help, you’re building the ultimate power – independence.

Enhances Critical Thinking

Ever solved a puzzle that made your brain do a happy dance? Homework is like that puzzle. It’s not just about finishing it; it’s about figuring out how. This makes your brain sharper and helps you tackle real-world problems creatively.

Strengthens Study Habits

Imagine you’re a scientist experimenting with different potions. Homework lets you experiment with how you study best. You find the perfect mix of time, place, and method, so studying becomes a breeze.

Connects Home and School

Remember the feeling of showing off a new toy to your family? Homework lets you show off what you’re learning. When you discuss it at home, you’re building a bridge between school and family life.

Previews Upcoming Lessons

Imagine getting a sneak peek of next week’s video game levels. Homework sometimes gives you a preview of what’s coming up in class. You’ll feel like you’re in on a secret mission.

Provides Feedback

Homework is like a report card for your brain. When you do it, you get to see what you’re great at and where you can improve. It’s like getting a treasure map that shows you the path to success.

Prevents Forgetting

Think of homework as a magical spell that banishes forgetting. Regular practice keeps your memory fresh. That’s how you keep acing the things you learned weeks ago.

Encourages Perseverance

Imagine you’re climbing a mountain. Homework can sometimes feel like a steep hill. But the best part? You never give up. Overcoming those challenges builds your inner strength and helps you conquer bigger mountains in life.

Nurtures Curiosity

Remember asking “Why?” a million times as a kid? Homework lets you do that with your school subjects. When you’re curious and ask questions, you’re becoming a mini scientist on a quest for knowledge.

Improves Time Management

Think of time as your magic wand, and homework as a spell you have to cast. Homework teaches you how to use your wand wisely. You’ll become a time-management wizard who can balance school, fun, and everything else.

Cultivates Research Skills

Imagine being a detective, hunting for clues in a mysterious case. Homework sometimes sends you on a similar mission – finding information. You’re not just learning; you’re becoming a savvy researcher too.

Develops Communication Skills

Remember telling your friends about a cool adventure you had? Homework is your chance to tell stories on paper. Writing assignments boost your storytelling and communication skills.

Prepares for Exams

Imagine exams are like video game bosses. Homework is your training ground, helping you level up. When you practice what you’ve learned, you’re ready to face those tough bosses with confidence.

Promotes Creativity

Think of homework like a canvas waiting for your artistic touch. Creative assignments let you unleash your imagination. You’re not just learning; you’re creating something unique and awesome.

Fosters Responsibility

Imagine your homework as a promise you make to your teachers. Completing it shows them you’re responsible and committed to your learning journey. It’s like being a superhero with integrity.

Encourages Collaboration

Remember the thrill of working together on a group project? Homework can be like that – a team adventure! You learn to listen to others, share ideas, and create something amazing as a team.

Promotes Lifelong Learning

Imagine your brain as a treasure chest, and homework as the key to unlocking it. Homework isn’t just for school; it’s a habit that sticks with you, making you curious, eager to learn, and ready to conquer any challenge life throws your way.

So, before you consider waving the “ban homework” flag, remember these 20 reasons. Homework is like a toolbox filled with skills that’ll make you a super learner in school and in life!

Why should they not ban homework?

Homework shouldn’t be banned because it:

  • Builds responsibility and time management.
  • Prepares for real-world tasks.
  • Boosts independent learning and critical thinking.
  • Provides feedback and identifies areas for improvement.
  • Prevents forgetting and maintains a strong foundation.
  • Encourages perseverance and resilience.
  • Nurtures curiosity and further exploration.
  • Improves time management skills.
  • Develops communication and research abilities.
  • Prepares for exams and structured assessments.
  • Promotes creativity and diverse problem-solving.
  • Fosters responsibility and commitment to education.
  • Encourages collaboration and teamwork.
  • Cultivates a habit of continuous learning.

In essence, homework equips you with skills and habits that extend beyond the classroom, helping you succeed in the long run.

What are the benefits of homework?

Have a close look at the benefits of homework.

Improves Retention

Homework’s like your memory workout. When you keep practicing through assignments, you remember stuff better for the long haul. It’s like having a trusty vault of knowledge that’s always there when you need it.

Develops Responsibility

Homework’s your responsibility coach. When you get those assignments done on time, you’re not just doing the work – you’re becoming a time management champ. It’s like mastering the art of juggling, but with tasks.

Builds Study Habits

Homework’s your study buddy. By doing assignments regularly, you’re actually training your brain to focus better. It’s like forming a habit that makes studying feel like second nature.

Fosters Independence

Homework’s your ticket to being a learning explorer. As you dive into assignments, you’re taking the wheel of your learning journey. This independence boost makes you feel like you’re ready to conquer new challenges.

Strengthens Skills

Homework’s your skill-building playground. While you’re crunching numbers, writing essays, or digging into topics, you’re also sharpening skills like research and time management. These skills aren’t just for school – they’re life skills.

Encourages Creativity

Creative assignments are like your imagination spark. They push you to think outside the box, try new angles, and show your ideas in cool ways. Whether it’s a story or a project, creativity gets a big high-five from homework.

Previews Lessons

Homework’s like a teaser trailer for what’s next. Sometimes, assignments drop hints about upcoming topics. So, when your teacher dives into it, you’re already in the know, nodding along like a pro.

Encourages Responsibility

Meeting homework deadlines isn’t just about getting stuff done. It’s showing that you’re responsible for your education. It’s like a little flag that says, “Hey, I’m committed to this learning journey!”

Promotes Collaboration

Group assignments are your teamwork practice. When you team up with classmates, you’re learning how to talk, share ideas, and work together. These are skills that work not just in school, but in the big wide world too.

Prevents Procrastination

Homework’s got your back against last-minute panic. When you make studying and finishing tasks a regular thing, you’re creating a routine that kicks procrastination out the door. It’s like having your own superhero sidekick against the urge to delay things.

In essence, homework offers a range of benefits that extend beyond academic achievement, preparing you for success in various aspects of life.

What would happen if homework was banned?

Have a close look at what would happen if homework was banned.

Less Practice

Think of homework like practice for a sport. If it’s gone, you might not get as many chances to practice what you learn in class. It’s like skipping practice sessions and then feeling a bit rusty during the big game.

Missing Skills

Homework isn’t just about the assignments. It’s like a secret teacher that helps you learn skills like time management and responsibility. Without it, you might miss out on learning these important life skills. It’s like skipping the “how to ride a bike” lesson.

Exam Trouble

Homework is like your superhero sidekick for tests. It helps you get ready and confident. Without homework, tests might feel like facing a boss level in a video game without any power-ups.

Thinking Skills

Homework is like a puzzle that makes your brain stronger. It makes you think hard, solve problems, and get those brain muscles working. Without it, you might not get to flex your thinking skills as much. It’s like having a gym but never going.

Responsibility Lesson

When you finish your homework, you’re showing that you’re in charge of your learning journey. You’re taking responsibility for your education. No homework might mean missing out on this important lesson in being responsible.

Talking Less

Homework chats at home are like mini classroom sessions. They’re your chance to tell your family all the cool stuff you’re learning. Without homework, you might not have as much to share with them about your school adventures.

Time Challenge

Homework is like a time management coach. It helps you figure out how to get things done on time. Without it, managing your time might feel a bit like solving a tricky puzzle without any hints.

Parents Less Involved

Homework often brings your parents into your learning journey. They get to help you, learn with you, and cheer you on. Without homework, they might be a little less involved in your school adventures.

Skills Practice Missing

Homework is like a practice ground for skills like researching and writing. Without it, you might not get to sharpen these skills as often. It’s like having a musical instrument but never playing any tunes.

No Feedback

Homework is like a sneak peek at your progress. It shows you where you’re doing great and where you might need a little help. Without it, you might not get that helpful feedback that makes you even better at what you do.

So, if homework disappeared, we might miss out on practicing, learning important skills, and getting ready for tests. It’s like losing a helpful teammate on our learning journey.

Is homework necessary pros and cons?

  • Reinforces Learning: Homework helps reinforce what’s learned in class, making sure the concepts stick.
  • Practice Makes Perfect: Regular practice through homework improves understanding and retention.
  • Prepares for Assessments: Homework readies students for exams and quizzes, boosting confidence.
  • Skill Development: Completing assignments hones time management and responsibility skills.
  • Critical Thinking: Homework encourages deep thinking and problem-solving, boosting skills.
  • Parental Involvement: Homework discussions at home engage parents in students’ learning.
  • Independent Learning: Homework fosters self-directed learning and independent thinking.
  • Life Skills: Homework teaches skills like research, writing, and task management.
  • Future Readiness: Homework preps students for future tasks that require meeting deadlines.
  • Feedback Loop: Homework offers feedback, helping students identify areas for improvement.
  • Stress and Overload: Too much homework can lead to stress and impact students’ well-being.
  • Time Constraints: Homework can consume time meant for extracurricular activities, hobbies, and family time.
  • Unequal Access: Some students might not have the resources at home to complete assignments.
  • Creativity Limitation: Excessive homework might limit time for creative activities outside school.
  • Diminished Engagement: Repetitive or excessive homework can lead to disengagement from learning.
  • Burnout Risk: An overload of homework might lead to burnout and decreased interest in learning.
  • Inflexibility: Homework might not account for different learning paces and styles.
  • Parental Pressure: Homework can sometimes lead to undue parental pressure and involvement.
  • Reduced Family Time: Too much homework might cut into valuable family time.
  • Impact on Sleep: Excessive homework can affect sleep patterns, impacting overall health.
  • Balancing the benefits and drawbacks of homework is essential to ensure it contributes positively to students’ education and overall well-being.

So, that’s the scoop on why homework shouldn’t be banned. It’s like a helper on your learning journey, giving you a chance to practice and become a pro at what you’ve learned in class. It’s not just about school stuff – homework teaches you skills like managing time, thinking critically, and being responsible.

Sure, there are times when homework might feel like a mountain to climb, and we get it – nobody wants to drown in assignments. But here’s the thing: finding a balance is the key.

Instead of waving goodbye to homework completely, we can make it work better for everyone. We’re talking about assignments that actually make sense, and that don’t gobble up all your free time.

In the end, it’s about making homework your sidekick, not your arch-nemesis. With a bit of homework magic, you’re not just acing tests – you’re picking up life skills that will come in handy down the road.

So, the next time you’re scribbling away on an assignment, remember – it’s more than just paper and ink; it’s your ticket to learning and growing in and out of the classroom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is homework causing excessive stress.

It’s important to strike a balance between the amount of homework assigned and its impact on students’ stress levels. Teachers should consider assigning reasonable amounts and providing guidance on time management.

Does homework infringe on students’ free time?

Homework should be designed to complement, not replace, students’ free time. Effective assignments can be completed within a reasonable timeframe, leaving ample time for extracurricular activities and relaxation.

Are students spending too much time indoors?

Homework can be an opportunity for students to explore topics beyond the classroom. Assignments that encourage outdoor exploration, research, or creative projects can address this concern.

Does homework impede creativity?

Homework can be structured to foster creativity. Assignments that allow for personal expression, critical thinking, and alternative approaches can actually enhance students’ creative abilities.

Does homework negatively impact family time?

By setting clear guidelines and expectations for homework completion, students can manage their time effectively and still participate in family activities.

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15 Should Homework Be Banned Pros and Cons

Homework was a staple of the public and private schooling experience for many of us growing up. There were long nights spent on book reports, science projects, and all of those repetitive math sheets. In many ways, it felt like an inevitable part of the educational experience. Unless you could power through all of your assignments during your free time in class, then there was going to be time spent at home working on specific subjects.

More schools are looking at the idea of banning homework from the modern educational experience. Instead of sending work home with students each night, they are finding alternative ways to ensure that each student can understand the curriculum without involving the uncertainty of parental involvement.

Although banning homework might seem like an unorthodox process, there are legitimate advantages to consider with this effort. There are some disadvantages which some families may encounter as well.

These are the updated lists of the pros and cons of banning homework to review.

List of the Pros of Banning Homework

1. Giving homework to students does not always improve their academic outcomes. The reality of homework for the modern student is that we do not know if it is helpful to have extra work assigned to them outside of the classroom. Every study that has looked at the subject has had design flaws which causes the data collected to be questionable at best. Although there is some information to suggest that students in seventh grade and higher can benefit from limited homework, banning it for students younger than that seems to be beneficial for their learning experience.

2. Banning homework can reduce burnout issues with students. Teachers are seeing homework stress occur in the classroom more frequently today than ever before. Almost half of all high school teachers in North America have seen this issue with their students at some point during the year. About 25% of grade school teachers say that they have seen the same thing.

When students are dealing with the impact of homework on their lives, it can have a tremendously adverse impact. One of the most cited reasons for students dropping out of school is that they cannot complete their homework on time.

3. Banning homework would increase the amount of family time available to students. Homework creates a significant disruption to family relationships. Over half of all parents in North America say that they have had a significant argument with their children over homework in the past month. 1/3 of families say that homework is their primary source of struggle in the home. Not only does it reduce the amount of time that everyone has to spend together, it reduces the chances that parents have to teach their own skills and belief systems to their kids.

4. It reduces the negative impact of homework on the health of a student. Many students suffer academically when they cannot finish a homework assignment on time. Although assumptions are often made about the time management skills of the individual when this outcome occurs, the reasons why it happens is usually more complex. It may be too difficult, too boring, or there may not be enough time in the day to complete the work.

When students experience failure in this area, it can lead to severe mental health issues. Some perceive themselves as a scholarly failure, which translates to an inability to live life successfully. It can disrupt a desire to learn. There is even an increased risk of suicide for some youth because of this issue. Banning it would reduce these risks immediately.

5. Eliminating homework would allow for an established sleep cycle. The average high school student requires between 8-10 hours of sleep to function at their best the next day. Grade-school students may require an extra hour or two beyond that figure. When teachers assign homework, then it increases the risk for each individual that they will not receive the amount that they require each night.

When children do not get enough sleep, a significant rest deficit occurs which can impact their ability to pay attention in school. It can cause unintended weight gain. There may even be issues with emotional control. Banning homework would help to reduce these risks as well.

6. It increases the amount of socialization time that students receive. People who are only spending time in school and then going home to do more work are at a higher risk of experiencing loneliness and isolation. When these emotions are present, then a student is more likely to feel “down and out” mentally and physically. They lack meaningful connections with other people. These feelings are the health equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes per day. If students are spending time on homework, then they are not spending time connecting with their family and friends.

7. It reduces the repetition that students face in the modern learning process. Most of the tasks that homework requires of students is repetitive and uninteresting. Kids love to resolve challenges on tasks that they are passionate about at that moment in their lives. Forcing them to complete the same problems repetitively as a way to “learn” core concepts can create issues with knowledge retention later in life. When you add in the fact that most lessons sent for homework must be done by themselves, banning homework will reduce the repetition that students face, allowing for a better overall outcome.

8. Home environments can be chaotic. Although some students can do homework in a quiet room without distractions, that is not the case for most kids. There are numerous events that happen at home which can pull a child’s attention away from the work that their teacher wants them to do. It isn’t just the Internet, video games, and television which are problematic either. Household chores, family issues, employment, and athletic requirements can make it a challenge to get the assigned work finished on time.

List of the Cons of Banning Homework

1. Homework allows parents to be involved with the educational process. Parents need to know what their children are learning in school. Even if they ask their children about what they are learning, the answers tend to be in generalities instead of specifics. By sending home work from the classroom, it allows parents to see and experience the work that their kids are doing when they are in school during the day. Then moms and dads can get involved with the learning process to reinforce the core concepts that were discovered by their children each day.

2. It can help parents and teachers identify learning disabilities. Many children develop a self-defense mechanism which allows them to appear like any other kid that is in their classroom. This process allows them to hide learning disabilities which may be hindering their educational progress. The presence of homework makes it possible for parents and teachers to identify this issue because kids can’t hide their struggles when they must work 1-on-1 with their parents on specific subjects. Banning homework would eliminate 50% of the opportunities to identify potential issues immediately.

3. Homework allows teachers to observe how their students understand the material. Teachers often use homework as a way to gauge how well a student is understanding the materials they are learning. Although some might point out that assignments and exams in the classroom can do the same thing, testing often requires preparation at home. It creates more anxiety and stress sometimes then even homework does. That is why banning it can be problematic for some students. Some students experience more pressure than they would during this assessment process when quizzes and tests are the only measurement of their success.

4. It teaches students how to manage their time wisely. As people grow older, they realize that time is a finite commodity. We must manage it wisely to maximize our productivity. Homework assignments are a way to encourage the development of this skill at an early age. The trick is to keep the amount of time required for the work down to a manageable level. As a general rule, students should spend about 10 minutes each school day doing homework, organizing their schedule around this need. If there are scheduling conflicts, then this process offers families a chance to create priorities.

5. Homework encourages students to be accountable for their role. Teachers are present in the classroom to offer access to information and skill-building opportunities that can improve the quality of life for each student. Administrators work to find a curriculum that will benefit the most people in an efficient way. Parents work hard to ensure their kids make it to school on time, follow healthy routines, and communicate with their school district to ensure the most effective learning opportunities possible. None of that matters if the student is not invested in the work in the first place. Homework assignments not only teach children how to work independently, but they also show them how to take responsibility for their part of the overall educational process.

6. It helps to teach important life lessons. Homework is an essential tool in the development of life lessons, such as communicating with others or comprehending something they have just read. It teaches kids how to think, solve problems, and even build an understanding for the issues that occur in our society right now. Many of the issues that lead to the idea to ban homework occur because someone in the life of a student communicated to them that this work was a waste of time. There are times in life when people need to do things that they don’t like or want to do. Homework helps a student begin to find the coping skills needed to be successful in that situation.

7. Homework allows for further research into class materials. Most classrooms offer less than 1 hour of instruction per subject during the day. For many students, that is not enough time to obtain a firm grasp on the materials being taught. Having homework assignments allows a student to perform more research, using their at-home tools to take a deeper look into the materials that would otherwise be impossible if homework was banned. That process can lead to a more significant understanding of the concepts involved, reducing anxiety levels because they have a complete grasp on the materials.

The pros and cons of banning homework is a decision that ultimately lies with each school district. Parents always have the option to pursue homeschooling or online learning if they disagree with the decisions that are made in this area. Whether you’re for more homework or want to see less of it, we can all agree on the fact that the absence of any reliable data about its usefulness makes it a challenge to know for certain which option is the best one to choose in this debate.

8 Reasons Why Homework Shouldn’t be Banned

Why Homework Shouldn't be Banned

Are you wondering Why homework should not get banned? Many parents think homework is a waste of time, but there are many reasons why homework should not be Banned. Homework has a lot of benifits that many people do not know. Let us see what experts have to say about this concern.

Table of Contents

Here are five reasons why homework shouldn’t be banned

1. retention of class learning.

Students need to practice what they learn. If they do not practice, then they will forget what they learned.

This is a common problem: Children often get busy with their gadgets and play once at home. As a result, the learning in school starts fading. Homework gives the students a good revision and can refresh the teaching in the comfort of their Home.

Homework was invented for this reason by Roberto Nevilis, an Italian teacher who is considered the inventor of Homework. As a teacher, Nevilis found that his teachings lost meaning when students were taken away from the class and back home. Anguished that his students failed to overtake their peers despite their actions and efforts, he chose to use a different technique. So Homework was invented.

2. Scorecard for Teachers

Homework gives teachers insight into how well their students understand concepts. The seriousness of a child is determined by how much time and effort he dedicates to his homework. Is he focused or very casual with the task given?

The teacher would tailor their teaching based on the output that comes only from homework. It also helps the teacher to understand which student in the class needs more attention and guidance.

3. Focused Learning at Home

Homework allows students to work at their own pace. The classroom may not give you adequate time or attention to understand all the concepts and learning imparted among many students.

The classroom is a common environment when learning is standardized to suit a general audience in school. Going back home and looking at the same learning gives the child time to understand and pickup up the concepts of the topic.

Children can dwell more on the topic and do more research once at Home, as they have access to parents and other friends, which is impossible in the classroom setup. Taking extra classes or tuition is also a form of Lesson.

4. Get deeper learning

Homework provides opportunities for students to apply what they’ve learned. A student can check out library or internet resources or perform practical tasks at Home. This is an opportunity for students to get more insight into the topic learned in a classroom.

Students can even look up Youtube for videos on relevant topics. It is quite possible that student has not understood the lesson from the school teacher but may understand it better when taught by listening to many teachers on Youtube.

This time may create more doubts or questions, which the student can go back to school and ask the teacher. It will facilitate more interactive learning versus just simple theory.

5. Self Discipline

Homework can help students build self-discipline. This is the best way to prepare the child for life. Classroom learning and self-practice or homework will help the child be responsible and form discipline in life. This will help them to take up any responsibility in the future.

Discipline will put things in perspective and drive the child in a systemic approach to learning and life. This will also positively affect their mental health .

6. Homework gives teachers insight into how students learn best

Teachers need to understand how students learn so they can help them with their homework. They also need to ensure students do not fall behind because of missed assignments. To accomplish these goals, teachers must first determine how students learn best.

There are several ways to do this. One method is to observe students while they work on homework. Another option is to ask students to write their thoughts about how they learn best. A third option is questionnaires to find out how students learn best.

Once teachers have determined how students learn best, they can decide whether homework should be banned. If homework is banned, teachers should provide alternative activities such as reading books, playing games, watching movies, etc.

7. Homework allows parents to see how their children are doing at school

Parents often worry when their child starts school. They wonder what will happen to their child’s grades and test scores. However, research shows that homework does not affect student performance.

Students who complete more homework tend to perform better than those who do less homework. This is true even among students who struggle academically.

8. Homework provides a sense of accomplishment

In addition to helping students learn, homework also gives them a sense of accomplishment. Research has shown that children who feel good about themselves are more likely to succeed in school.

Students need to practice what they learn

Students should be allowed to complete homework assignments as often as possible. This will enable them to practice what they have learned. However, there are times when homework should be banned. These situations include:

  • When the student has been disruptive during class.
  • When the teacher feels that the assignment is too difficult.
  • When the teacher feels the student does not care about learning.
  • When the teacher feels it would be better to spend more time teaching than doing homework.
  • When the teacher feels they cannot give enough individual attention to each student.

Do you want to learn more exciting facts about Homework and would like to know who invented homework and why? Read Here.

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Student Opinion

Should We Get Rid of Homework?

Some educators are pushing to get rid of homework. Would that be a good thing?

15 reasons why homework should not be banned

By Jeremy Engle and Michael Gonchar

Do you like doing homework? Do you think it has benefited you educationally?

Has homework ever helped you practice a difficult skill — in math, for example — until you mastered it? Has it helped you learn new concepts in history or science? Has it helped to teach you life skills, such as independence and responsibility? Or, have you had a more negative experience with homework? Does it stress you out, numb your brain from busywork or actually make you fall behind in your classes?

Should we get rid of homework?

In “ The Movement to End Homework Is Wrong, ” published in July, the Times Opinion writer Jay Caspian Kang argues that homework may be imperfect, but it still serves an important purpose in school. The essay begins:

Do students really need to do their homework? As a parent and a former teacher, I have been pondering this question for quite a long time. The teacher side of me can acknowledge that there were assignments I gave out to my students that probably had little to no academic value. But I also imagine that some of my students never would have done their basic reading if they hadn’t been trained to complete expected assignments, which would have made the task of teaching an English class nearly impossible. As a parent, I would rather my daughter not get stuck doing the sort of pointless homework I would occasionally assign, but I also think there’s a lot of value in saying, “Hey, a lot of work you’re going to end up doing in your life is pointless, so why not just get used to it?” I certainly am not the only person wondering about the value of homework. Recently, the sociologist Jessica McCrory Calarco and the mathematics education scholars Ilana Horn and Grace Chen published a paper, “ You Need to Be More Responsible: The Myth of Meritocracy and Teachers’ Accounts of Homework Inequalities .” They argued that while there’s some evidence that homework might help students learn, it also exacerbates inequalities and reinforces what they call the “meritocratic” narrative that says kids who do well in school do so because of “individual competence, effort and responsibility.” The authors believe this meritocratic narrative is a myth and that homework — math homework in particular — further entrenches the myth in the minds of teachers and their students. Calarco, Horn and Chen write, “Research has highlighted inequalities in students’ homework production and linked those inequalities to differences in students’ home lives and in the support students’ families can provide.”

Mr. Kang argues:

But there’s a defense of homework that doesn’t really have much to do with class mobility, equality or any sense of reinforcing the notion of meritocracy. It’s one that became quite clear to me when I was a teacher: Kids need to learn how to practice things. Homework, in many cases, is the only ritualized thing they have to do every day. Even if we could perfectly equalize opportunity in school and empower all students not to be encumbered by the weight of their socioeconomic status or ethnicity, I’m not sure what good it would do if the kids didn’t know how to do something relentlessly, over and over again, until they perfected it. Most teachers know that type of progress is very difficult to achieve inside the classroom, regardless of a student’s background, which is why, I imagine, Calarco, Horn and Chen found that most teachers weren’t thinking in a structural inequalities frame. Holistic ideas of education, in which learning is emphasized and students can explore concepts and ideas, are largely for the types of kids who don’t need to worry about class mobility. A defense of rote practice through homework might seem revanchist at this moment, but if we truly believe that schools should teach children lessons that fall outside the meritocracy, I can’t think of one that matters more than the simple satisfaction of mastering something that you were once bad at. That takes homework and the acknowledgment that sometimes a student can get a question wrong and, with proper instruction, eventually get it right.

Students, read the entire article, then tell us:

Should we get rid of homework? Why, or why not?

Is homework an outdated, ineffective or counterproductive tool for learning? Do you agree with the authors of the paper that homework is harmful and worsens inequalities that exist between students’ home circumstances?

Or do you agree with Mr. Kang that homework still has real educational value?

When you get home after school, how much homework will you do? Do you think the amount is appropriate, too much or too little? Is homework, including the projects and writing assignments you do at home, an important part of your learning experience? Or, in your opinion, is it not a good use of time? Explain.

In these letters to the editor , one reader makes a distinction between elementary school and high school:

Homework’s value is unclear for younger students. But by high school and college, homework is absolutely essential for any student who wishes to excel. There simply isn’t time to digest Dostoyevsky if you only ever read him in class.

What do you think? How much does grade level matter when discussing the value of homework?

Is there a way to make homework more effective?

If you were a teacher, would you assign homework? What kind of assignments would you give and why?

Want more writing prompts? You can find all of our questions in our Student Opinion column . Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate them into your classroom.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Jeremy Engle joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2018 after spending more than 20 years as a classroom humanities and documentary-making teacher, professional developer and curriculum designer working with students and teachers across the country. More about Jeremy Engle

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No More Homework: 12 Reasons We Should Get Rid of It Completely

Last Updated: February 16, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Finn Kobler . Finn Kobler graduated from USC in 2022 with a BFA in Writing for Screen/Television. He is a two-time California State Champion and record holder in Original Prose/Poetry, a 2018 finalist for the Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate, and he's written micro-budget films that have been screened in over 150 theaters nationwide. Growing up, Finn spent every summer helping his family's nonprofit arts program, Showdown Stage Company, empower people through accessible media. He hopes to continue that mission with his writing at wikiHow. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 120,404 times. Learn more...

The amount of homework students are given has increased dramatically in the 21st century, which has sparked countless debates over homework’s overall value. While some have been adamant that homework is an essential part of a good education, it’s been proven that too much homework negatively affects students’ mood, classroom performance, and overall well-being. In addition, a heavy homework load can stress families and teachers. Here are 12 reasons why homework should be banned (or at least heavily reduced).

School is already a full-time job.

Students already spend approximately seven hours a day at school.

  • For years, teachers have followed the “10-minute rule” giving students roughly 10 minutes of homework per grade level. However, recent studies have shown students are completing 3+ hours of homework a night well before their senior years even begin. [2] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source

Homework negatively affects students’ health.

Homework takes a toll physically.

Homework interferes with student’s opportunities to socialize.

Childhood and adolescence are extraordinary times for making friends.

Homework hinders students’ chances to learn new things.

Students need time to self-actualize.

Homework lowers students’ enthusiasm for school.

Homework makes the school feel like a chore.

Homework can lower academic performance.

Homework is unnecessary and counterproductive for high-performing students.

Homework cuts into family time.

Too much homework can cause family structures to collapse.

Homework is stressful for teachers.

Homework can also lead to burnout for teachers.

Homework is often irrelevant and punitive.

Students who don’t understand the lesson get no value from homework.

  • There are even studies that have shown homework in primary school has no correlation with classroom performance whatsoever. [9] X Research source

Homework encourages cheating.

Mandatory homework makes cheating feel like students’ only option.

Homework is inequitable.

Homework highlights the achievement gap between rich and poor students.

Other countries have banned homework with great results.

Countries like Finland have minimal homework and perform well academically.

  • There are even some U.S. schools that have adopted this approach with success. [13] X Research source

Community Q&A

Clement

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  • ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/no-proven-benefits
  • ↑ https://www.apa.org/monitor/2016/03/homework
  • ↑ https://healthier.stanfordchildrens.org/en/health-hazards-homework/
  • ↑ https://teensneedsleep.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/galloway-nonacademic-effects-of-homework-in-privileged-high-performing-high-schools.pdf
  • ↑ https://time.com/4466390/homework-debate-research/
  • ↑ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220485.2022.2075506?role=tab&scroll=top&needAccess=true&journalCode=vece20
  • ↑ https://kappanonline.org/teacher-stress-balancing-demands-resources-mccarthy/
  • ↑ https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-life-homework-pros-cons-20180807-story.html
  • ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6294446/
  • ↑ https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/06/homework-inequality-parents-schedules-grades/485174/
  • ↑ https://www.bbc.com/news/education-37716005
  • ↑ https://www.wsj.com/articles/no-homework-its-the-new-thing-in-u-s-schools-11544610600

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An illustration shows an open math workbook and a pencil writing numbers in it, while the previous page disintegrates and floats away.

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Nobody knows what the point of homework is

The homework wars are back.

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As the Covid-19 pandemic began and students logged into their remote classrooms, all work, in effect, became homework. But whether or not students could complete it at home varied. For some, schoolwork became public-library work or McDonald’s-parking-lot work.

Luis Torres, the principal of PS 55, a predominantly low-income community elementary school in the south Bronx, told me that his school secured Chromebooks for students early in the pandemic only to learn that some lived in shelters that blocked wifi for security reasons. Others, who lived in housing projects with poor internet reception, did their schoolwork in laundromats.

According to a 2021 Pew survey , 25 percent of lower-income parents said their children, at some point, were unable to complete their schoolwork because they couldn’t access a computer at home; that number for upper-income parents was 2 percent.

The issues with remote learning in March 2020 were new. But they highlighted a divide that had been there all along in another form: homework. And even long after schools have resumed in-person classes, the pandemic’s effects on homework have lingered.

Over the past three years, in response to concerns about equity, schools across the country, including in Sacramento, Los Angeles , San Diego , and Clark County, Nevada , made permanent changes to their homework policies that restricted how much homework could be given and how it could be graded after in-person learning resumed.

Three years into the pandemic, as districts and teachers reckon with Covid-era overhauls of teaching and learning, schools are still reconsidering the purpose and place of homework. Whether relaxing homework expectations helps level the playing field between students or harms them by decreasing rigor is a divisive issue without conclusive evidence on either side, echoing other debates in education like the elimination of standardized test scores from some colleges’ admissions processes.

I first began to wonder if the homework abolition movement made sense after speaking with teachers in some Massachusetts public schools, who argued that rather than help disadvantaged kids, stringent homework restrictions communicated an attitude of low expectations. One, an English teacher, said she felt the school had “just given up” on trying to get the students to do work; another argued that restrictions that prohibit teachers from assigning take-home work that doesn’t begin in class made it difficult to get through the foreign-language curriculum. Teachers in other districts have raised formal concerns about homework abolition’s ability to close gaps among students rather than widening them.

Many education experts share this view. Harris Cooper, a professor emeritus of psychology at Duke who has studied homework efficacy, likened homework abolition to “playing to the lowest common denominator.”

But as I learned after talking to a variety of stakeholders — from homework researchers to policymakers to parents of schoolchildren — whether to abolish homework probably isn’t the right question. More important is what kind of work students are sent home with and where they can complete it. Chances are, if schools think more deeply about giving constructive work, time spent on homework will come down regardless.

There’s no consensus on whether homework works

The rise of the no-homework movement during the Covid-19 pandemic tapped into long-running disagreements over homework’s impact on students. The purpose and effectiveness of homework have been disputed for well over a century. In 1901, for instance, California banned homework for students up to age 15, and limited it for older students, over concerns that it endangered children’s mental and physical health. The newest iteration of the anti-homework argument contends that the current practice punishes students who lack support and rewards those with more resources, reinforcing the “myth of meritocracy.”

But there is still no research consensus on homework’s effectiveness; no one can seem to agree on what the right metrics are. Much of the debate relies on anecdotes, intuition, or speculation.

Researchers disagree even on how much research exists on the value of homework. Kathleen Budge, the co-author of Turning High-Poverty Schools Into High-Performing Schools and a professor at Boise State, told me that homework “has been greatly researched.” Denise Pope, a Stanford lecturer and leader of the education nonprofit Challenge Success, said, “It’s not a highly researched area because of some of the methodological problems.”

Experts who are more sympathetic to take-home assignments generally support the “10-minute rule,” a framework that estimates the ideal amount of homework on any given night by multiplying the student’s grade by 10 minutes. (A ninth grader, for example, would have about 90 minutes of work a night.) Homework proponents argue that while it is difficult to design randomized control studies to test homework’s effectiveness, the vast majority of existing studies show a strong positive correlation between homework and high academic achievement for middle and high school students. Prominent critics of homework argue that these correlational studies are unreliable and point to studies that suggest a neutral or negative effect on student performance. Both agree there is little to no evidence for homework’s effectiveness at an elementary school level, though proponents often argue that it builds constructive habits for the future.

For anyone who remembers homework assignments from both good and bad teachers, this fundamental disagreement might not be surprising. Some homework is pointless and frustrating to complete. Every week during my senior year of high school, I had to analyze a poem for English and decorate it with images found on Google; my most distinct memory from that class is receiving a demoralizing 25-point deduction because I failed to present my analysis on a poster board. Other assignments really do help students learn: After making an adapted version of Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book for a ninth grade history project, I was inspired to check out from the library and read a biography of the Chinese ruler.

For homework opponents, the first example is more likely to resonate. “We’re all familiar with the negative effects of homework: stress, exhaustion, family conflict, less time for other activities, diminished interest in learning,” Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth, which challenges common justifications for homework, told me in an email. “And these effects may be most pronounced among low-income students.” Kohn believes that schools should make permanent any moratoria implemented during the pandemic, arguing that there are no positives at all to outweigh homework’s downsides. Recent studies , he argues , show the benefits may not even materialize during high school.

In the Marlborough Public Schools, a suburban district 45 minutes west of Boston, school policy committee chair Katherine Hennessy described getting kids to complete their homework during remote education as “a challenge, to say the least.” Teachers found that students who spent all day on their computers didn’t want to spend more time online when the day was over. So, for a few months, the school relaxed the usual practice and teachers slashed the quantity of nightly homework.

Online learning made the preexisting divides between students more apparent, she said. Many students, even during normal circumstances, lacked resources to keep them on track and focused on completing take-home assignments. Though Marlborough Schools is more affluent than PS 55, Hennessy said many students had parents whose work schedules left them unable to provide homework help in the evenings. The experience tracked with a common divide in the country between children of different socioeconomic backgrounds.

So in October 2021, months after the homework reduction began, the Marlborough committee made a change to the district’s policy. While teachers could still give homework, the assignments had to begin as classwork. And though teachers could acknowledge homework completion in a student’s participation grade, they couldn’t count homework as its own grading category. “Rigorous learning in the classroom does not mean that that classwork must be assigned every night,” the policy stated . “Extensions of class work is not to be used to teach new content or as a form of punishment.”

Canceling homework might not do anything for the achievement gap

The critiques of homework are valid as far as they go, but at a certain point, arguments against homework can defy the commonsense idea that to retain what they’re learning, students need to practice it.

“Doesn’t a kid become a better reader if he reads more? Doesn’t a kid learn his math facts better if he practices them?” said Cathy Vatterott, an education researcher and professor emeritus at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. After decades of research, she said it’s still hard to isolate the value of homework, but that doesn’t mean it should be abandoned.

Blanket vilification of homework can also conflate the unique challenges facing disadvantaged students as compared to affluent ones, which could have different solutions. “The kids in the low-income schools are being hurt because they’re being graded, unfairly, on time they just don’t have to do this stuff,” Pope told me. “And they’re still being held accountable for turning in assignments, whether they’re meaningful or not.” On the other side, “Palo Alto kids” — students in Silicon Valley’s stereotypically pressure-cooker public schools — “are just bombarded and overloaded and trying to stay above water.”

Merely getting rid of homework doesn’t solve either problem. The United States already has the second-highest disparity among OECD (the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) nations between time spent on homework by students of high and low socioeconomic status — a difference of more than three hours, said Janine Bempechat, clinical professor at Boston University and author of No More Mindless Homework .

When she interviewed teachers in Boston-area schools that had cut homework before the pandemic, Bempechat told me, “What they saw immediately was parents who could afford it immediately enrolled their children in the Russian School of Mathematics,” a math-enrichment program whose tuition ranges from $140 to about $400 a month. Getting rid of homework “does nothing for equity; it increases the opportunity gap between wealthier and less wealthy families,” she said. “That solution troubles me because it’s no solution at all.”

A group of teachers at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia, made the same point after the school district proposed an overhaul of its homework policies, including removing penalties for missing homework deadlines, allowing unlimited retakes, and prohibiting grading of homework.

“Given the emphasis on equity in today’s education systems,” they wrote in a letter to the school board, “we believe that some of the proposed changes will actually have a detrimental impact towards achieving this goal. Families that have means could still provide challenging and engaging academic experiences for their children and will continue to do so, especially if their children are not experiencing expected rigor in the classroom.” At a school where more than a third of students are low-income, the teachers argued, the policies would prompt students “to expect the least of themselves in terms of effort, results, and responsibility.”

Not all homework is created equal

Despite their opposing sides in the homework wars, most of the researchers I spoke to made a lot of the same points. Both Bempechat and Pope were quick to bring up how parents and schools confuse rigor with workload, treating the volume of assignments as a proxy for quality of learning. Bempechat, who is known for defending homework, has written extensively about how plenty of it lacks clear purpose, requires the purchasing of unnecessary supplies, and takes longer than it needs to. Likewise, when Pope instructs graduate-level classes on curriculum, she asks her students to think about the larger purpose they’re trying to achieve with homework: If they can get the job done in the classroom, there’s no point in sending home more work.

At its best, pandemic-era teaching facilitated that last approach. Honolulu-based teacher Christina Torres Cawdery told me that, early in the pandemic, she often had a cohort of kids in her classroom for four hours straight, as her school tried to avoid too much commingling. She couldn’t lecture for four hours, so she gave the students plenty of time to complete independent and project-based work. At the end of most school days, she didn’t feel the need to send them home with more to do.

A similar limited-homework philosophy worked at a public middle school in Chelsea, Massachusetts. A couple of teachers there turned as much class as possible into an opportunity for small-group practice, allowing kids to work on problems that traditionally would be assigned for homework, Jessica Flick, a math coach who leads department meetings at the school, told me. It was inspired by a philosophy pioneered by Simon Fraser University professor Peter Liljedahl, whose influential book Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics reframes homework as “check-your-understanding questions” rather than as compulsory work. Last year, Flick found that the two eighth grade classes whose teachers adopted this strategy performed the best on state tests, and this year, she has encouraged other teachers to implement it.

Teachers know that plenty of homework is tedious and unproductive. Jeannemarie Dawson De Quiroz, who has taught for more than 20 years in low-income Boston and Los Angeles pilot and charter schools, says that in her first years on the job she frequently assigned “drill and kill” tasks and questions that she now feels unfairly stumped students. She said designing good homework wasn’t part of her teaching programs, nor was it meaningfully discussed in professional development. With more experience, she turned as much class time as she could into practice time and limited what she sent home.

“The thing about homework that’s sticky is that not all homework is created equal,” says Jill Harrison Berg, a former teacher and the author of Uprooting Instructional Inequity . “Some homework is a genuine waste of time and requires lots of resources for no good reason. And other homework is really useful.”

Cutting homework has to be part of a larger strategy

The takeaways are clear: Schools can make cuts to homework, but those cuts should be part of a strategy to improve the quality of education for all students. If the point of homework was to provide more practice, districts should think about how students can make it up during class — or offer time during or after school for students to seek help from teachers. If it was to move the curriculum along, it’s worth considering whether strategies like Liljedahl’s can get more done in less time.

Some of the best thinking around effective assignments comes from those most critical of the current practice. Denise Pope proposes that, before assigning homework, teachers should consider whether students understand the purpose of the work and whether they can do it without help. If teachers think it’s something that can’t be done in class, they should be mindful of how much time it should take and the feedback they should provide. It’s questions like these that De Quiroz considered before reducing the volume of work she sent home.

More than a year after the new homework policy began in Marlborough, Hennessy still hears from parents who incorrectly “think homework isn’t happening” despite repeated assurances that kids still can receive work. She thinks part of the reason is that education has changed over the years. “I think what we’re trying to do is establish that homework may be an element of educating students,” she told me. “But it may not be what parents think of as what they grew up with. ... It’s going to need to adapt, per the teaching and the curriculum, and how it’s being delivered in each classroom.”

For the policy to work, faculty, parents, and students will all have to buy into a shared vision of what school ought to look like. The district is working on it — in November, it hosted and uploaded to YouTube a round-table discussion on homework between district administrators — but considering the sustained confusion, the path ahead seems difficult.

When I asked Luis Torres about whether he thought homework serves a useful part in PS 55’s curriculum, he said yes, of course it was — despite the effort and money it takes to keep the school open after hours to help them do it. “The children need the opportunity to practice,” he said. “If you don’t give them opportunities to practice what they learn, they’re going to forget.” But Torres doesn’t care if the work is done at home. The school stays open until around 6 pm on weekdays, even during breaks. Tutors through New York City’s Department of Youth and Community Development programs help kids with work after school so they don’t need to take it with them.

As schools weigh the purpose of homework in an unequal world, it’s tempting to dispose of a practice that presents real, practical problems to students across the country. But getting rid of homework is unlikely to do much good on its own. Before cutting it, it’s worth thinking about what good assignments are meant to do in the first place. It’s crucial that students from all socioeconomic backgrounds tackle complex quantitative problems and hone their reading and writing skills. It’s less important that the work comes home with them.

Jacob Sweet is a freelance writer in Somerville, Massachusetts. He is a frequent contributor to the New Yorker, among other publications.

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15 reasons why homework should not be banned

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Why I Think All Schools Should Abolish Homework

Two brothers work on laptop computers at home

H ow long is your child’s workweek? Thirty hours? Forty? Would it surprise you to learn that some elementary school kids have workweeks comparable to adults’ schedules? For most children, mandatory homework assignments push their workweek far beyond the school day and deep into what any other laborers would consider overtime. Even without sports or music or other school-sponsored extracurriculars, the daily homework slog keeps many students on the clock as long as lawyers, teachers, medical residents, truck drivers and other overworked adults. Is it any wonder that,deprived of the labor protections that we provide adults, our kids are suffering an epidemic of disengagement, anxiety and depression ?

With my youngest child just months away from finishing high school, I’m remembering all the needless misery and missed opportunities all three of my kids suffered because of their endless assignments. When my daughters were in middle school, I would urge them into bed before midnight and then find them clandestinely studying under the covers with a flashlight. We cut back on their activities but still found ourselves stuck in a system on overdrive, returning home from hectic days at 6 p.m. only to face hours more of homework. Now, even as a senior with a moderate course load, my son, Zak, has spent many weekends studying, finding little time for the exercise and fresh air essential to his well-being. Week after week, and without any extracurriculars, Zak logs a lot more than the 40 hours adults traditionally work each week — and with no recognition from his “bosses” that it’s too much. I can’t count the number of shared evenings, weekend outings and dinners that our family has missed and will never get back.

How much after-school time should our schools really own?

In the midst of the madness last fall, Zak said to me, “I feel like I’m working towards my death. The constant demands on my time since 5th grade are just going to continue through graduation, into college, and then into my job. It’s like I’m on an endless treadmill with no time for living.”

My spirit crumbled along with his.

Like Zak, many people are now questioning the point of putting so much demand on children and teens that they become thinly stretched and overworked. Studies have long shown that there is no academic benefit to high school homework that consumes more than a modest number of hours each week. In a study of high schoolers conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), researchers concluded that “after around four hours of homework per week, the additional time invested in homework has a negligible impact on performance.”

In elementary school, where we often assign overtime even to the youngest children, studies have shown there’s no academic benefit to any amount of homework at all.

Our unquestioned acceptance of homework also flies in the face of all we know about human health, brain function and learning. Brain scientists know that rest and exercise are essential to good health and real learning . Even top adult professionals in specialized fields take care to limit their work to concentrated periods of focus. A landmark study of how humans develop expertise found that elite musicians, scientists and athletes do their most productive work only about four hours per day .

Yet we continue to overwork our children, depriving them of the chance to cultivate health and learn deeply, burdening them with an imbalance of sedentary, academic tasks. American high school students , in fact, do more homework each week than their peers in the average country in the OECD, a 2014 report found.

It’s time for an uprising.

Already, small rebellions are starting. High schools in Ridgewood, N.J. , and Fairfax County, Va., among others, have banned homework over school breaks. The entire second grade at Taylor Elementary School in Arlington, Va., abolished homework this academic year. Burton Valley Elementary School in Lafayette, Calif., has eliminated homework in grades K through 4. Henry West Laboratory School , a public K-8 school in Coral Gables, Fla., eliminated mandatory, graded homework for optional assignments. One Lexington, Mass., elementary school is piloting a homework-free year, replacing it with reading for pleasure.

More from TIME

Across the Atlantic, students in Spain launched a national strike against excessive assignments in November. And a second-grade teacher in Texas, made headlines this fall when she quit sending home extra work , instead urging families to “spend your evenings doing things that are proven to correlate with student success. Eat dinner as a family, read together, play outside and get your child to bed early.”

It is time that we call loudly for a clear and simple change: a workweek limit for children, counting time on the clock before and after the final bell. Why should schools extend their authority far beyond the boundaries of campus, dictating activities in our homes in the hours that belong to families? An all-out ban on after-school assignments would be optimal. Short of that, we can at least sensibly agree on a cap limiting kids to a 40-hour workweek — and fewer hours for younger children.

Resistance even to this reasonable limit will be rife. Mike Miller, an English teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va., found this out firsthand when he spearheaded a homework committee to rethink the usual approach. He had read the education research and found a forgotten policy on the county books limiting homework to two hours a night, total, including all classes. “I thought it would be a slam dunk” to put the two-hour cap firmly in place, Miller said.

But immediately, people started balking. “There was a lot of fear in the community,” Miller said. “It’s like jumping off a high dive with your kids’ future. If we reduce homework to two hours or less, is my kid really going to be okay?” In the end, the committee only agreed to a homework ban over school breaks.

Miller’s response is a great model for us all. He decided to limit assignments in his own class to 20 minutes a night (the most allowed for a student with six classes to hit the two-hour max). His students didn’t suddenly fail. Their test scores remained stable. And they started using their more breathable schedule to do more creative, thoughtful work.

That’s the way we will get to a sane work schedule for kids: by simultaneously pursuing changes big and small. Even as we collaboratively press for policy changes at the district or individual school level, all teachers can act now, as individuals, to ease the strain on overworked kids.

As parents and students, we can also organize to make homework the exception rather than the rule. We can insist that every family, teacher and student be allowed to opt out of assignments without penalty to make room for important activities, and we can seek changes that shift practice exercises and assignments into the actual school day.

We’ll know our work is done only when Zak and every other child can clock out, eat dinner, sleep well and stay healthy — the very things needed to engage and learn deeply. That’s the basic standard the law applies to working adults. Let’s do the same for our kids.

Vicki Abeles is the author of the bestseller Beyond Measure: Rescuing an Overscheduled, Overtested, Underestimated Generation, and director and producer of the documentaries “ Race to Nowhere ” and “ Beyond Measure. ”

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25 Reasons Homework Should Be Banned (Busywork Arguments)

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As students across the globe plow through heaps of homework each night, one question lingers in the minds of educators, parents, and students alike: should homework be banned?

This question is not new, yet it continues to spark lively debate as research findings, anecdotal evidence, and personal experiences paint a complex picture of the pros and cons of homework.

On one hand, proponents of homework argue that it reinforces classroom learning, encourages a disciplined work ethic, and provides teachers with valuable insight into student comprehension. They see homework as an extension of classroom instruction that solidifies and enriches learning while fostering important skills like time management and self-discipline. It also offers an opportunity for parents to be involved in their children's education.

However, some people say there are a lot of downsides. They argue that excessive homework can lead to stress and burnout, reduce time for extracurricular activities and family interactions, exacerbate educational inequalities, and even negatively impact students' mental health.

child stressed about homework

This article presents 25 reasons why we might need to seriously consider this radical shift in our educational approach. But first, lets share some examples of what homework actually is.

Examples of Homework

These examples cover a wide range of subjects and complexity levels, reflecting the variety of homework assignments students might encounter throughout their educational journey.

  • Spelling lists to memorize for a test
  • Math worksheets for practicing basic arithmetic operations
  • Reading assignments from children's books
  • Simple science projects like growing a plant
  • Basic geography assignments like labeling a map
  • Art projects like drawing a family portrait
  • Writing book reports or essays
  • Advanced math problems
  • Research projects on various topics
  • Lab reports for science experiments
  • Reading and responding to literature
  • Preparing presentations on various topics
  • Advanced math problems involving calculus or algebra
  • Reading classic literature and writing analytical essays
  • Research papers on historical events
  • Lab reports for advanced science experiments
  • Foreign language exercises
  • Preparing for standardized tests
  • College application essays
  • Extensive research papers
  • In-depth case studies
  • Advanced problem-solving in subjects like physics, engineering, etc.
  • Thesis or dissertation writing
  • Extensive reading and literature reviews
  • Internship or practicum experiences

Lack of proven benefits

measured scientific results

Homework has long been a staple of traditional education, dating back centuries. However, the actual efficacy of homework in enhancing learning outcomes remains disputed. A number of studies indicate that there's no conclusive evidence supporting the notion that homework improves academic performance, especially in primary education . In fact, research suggests that for younger students, the correlation between homework and academic achievement is weak or even negative .

Too much homework can often lead to increased stress and decreased enthusiasm for learning. This issue becomes particularly pressing when considering the common 'more is better' approach to homework, where the quantity of work given to students often outweighs the quality and effectiveness of the tasks. For instance, spending countless hours memorizing facts for a history test may not necessarily translate to better understanding or long-term retention of the subject matter.

However, it's worth noting that homework isn't completely devoid of benefits. It can help foster self-discipline, time management skills, and the ability to work independently. But, these positive outcomes are usually more pronounced in older students and when homework assignments are thoughtfully designed and not excessive in volume.

When discussing the merits and drawbacks of homework, it's critical to consider the nature of the assignments. Routine, repetitive tasks often associated with 'drill-and-practice' homework, such as completing rows of arithmetic problems or copying definitions from a textbook, rarely lead to meaningful learning. On the other hand, assignments that encourage students to apply what they've learned in class, solve problems, or engage creatively with the material can be more beneficial.

Increased stress

stressed student

Homework can often lead to a significant increase in stress levels among students. This is especially true when students are burdened with large volumes of homework, leaving them with little time to relax or pursue other activities. The feeling of constantly racing against the clock to meet deadlines can contribute to anxiety, frustration, and even burnout.

Contrary to popular belief, stress does not necessarily improve performance or productivity. In fact, high levels of stress can negatively impact memory, concentration, and overall cognitive function. This counteracts the very purpose of homework, which is intended to reinforce learning and improve academic outcomes.

However, one might argue that homework can teach students about time management, organization, and how to handle pressure. These are important life skills that could potentially prepare them for future responsibilities. But it's essential to strike a balance. The pressure to complete homework should not come at the cost of a student's mental wellbeing.

Limited family time

student missing their family

Homework often infringes upon the time students can spend with their families. After spending the entire day in school, children come home to yet more academic work, leaving little room for quality family interactions. This limited family time can hinder the development of important interpersonal skills and familial bonds.

Moreover, family time isn't just about fun and relaxation. It also plays a crucial role in the social and emotional development of children. Opportunities for unstructured play, family conversations, and shared activities can contribute to children's well-being and character building.

Nonetheless, advocates of homework might argue that it can be a platform for parental involvement in a child's education. While this may be true, the involvement should not transform into parental control or cause friction due to differing expectations and pressures.

Reduced physical activity

student doing homework looking outside

Homework can often lead to reduced physical activity by eating into the time students have for sports, recreation, and simply being outdoors. Physical activity is essential for children's health, well-being, and even their academic performance. Research suggests that physical activity can enhance cognitive abilities, improve concentration, and reduce symptoms of ADHD .

Homework, especially when it's boring and repetitive, can deter students from engaging in physical activities, leading to a sedentary lifestyle. This lack of balance between work and play can contribute to physical health problems such as obesity, poor posture, and related health concerns.

Homework proponents might point out that disciplined time management could allow students to balance both work and play. However, given the demanding nature of many homework assignments, achieving this balance is often easier said than done.

Negative impact on sleep

lack of sleep

A significant concern about homework is its impact on students' sleep patterns. Numerous studies have linked excessive homework to sleep deprivation in students. Children often stay up late to complete assignments, reducing the amount of sleep they get. Lack of sleep can result in a host of issues, from poor academic performance and difficulty concentrating to physical health problems like weakened immunity.

Even the quality of sleep can be affected. The stress and anxiety from a heavy workload can lead to difficulty falling asleep or restless nights. And let's not forget that students often need to wake up early for school, compounding the negative effects of late-night homework sessions.

On the other hand, some argue that homework can teach children time management skills, suggesting that effective organization could help prevent late-night work. However, when schools assign excessive amounts of homework, even the best time management might not prevent encroachment on sleep time.

Homework can exacerbate existing educational inequalities. Not all students have access to a conducive learning environment at home, necessary resources, or support from educated family members. For these students, homework can become a source of stress and disadvantage rather than an opportunity to reinforce learning.

Children from lower socio-economic backgrounds might need to contribute to household chores or part-time work, limiting the time they have for homework. This can create a gap in academic performance and grades, reflecting not on the students' abilities but their circumstances.

While homework is meant to level the playing field by providing additional learning time outside school, it often does the opposite. It's worth noting that students from privileged backgrounds can often access additional help like tutoring, further widening the gap.

Reduced creativity and independent thinking

Homework, particularly when it involves rote learning or repetitive tasks, can stifle creativity and independent thinking. Students often focus on getting the "right" answers to please teachers rather than exploring different ideas and solutions. This can hinder their ability to think creatively and solve problems independently, skills that are increasingly in demand in the modern world.

Homework defenders might claim that it can also promote independent learning. True, when thoughtfully designed, homework can encourage this. But, voluminous or repetitive tasks tend to promote compliance over creativity.

Diminished interest in learning

Overburdening students with homework can diminish their interest in learning. After long hours in school followed by more academic tasks at home, learning can begin to feel like a chore. This can lead to a decline in intrinsic motivation and an unhealthy association of learning with stress and exhaustion.

In theory, homework can deepen interest in a subject, especially when it involves projects or research. Yet, an excess of homework, particularly routine tasks, might achieve the opposite, turning learning into a source of stress rather than enjoyment.

Inability to pursue personal interests

Homework can limit students' ability to pursue personal interests. Hobbies, personal projects, and leisure activities are crucial for personal development and well-being. With heavy homework loads, students may struggle to find time for these activities, missing out on opportunities to discover new interests and talents.

Supporters of homework might argue that it teaches students to manage their time effectively. However, even with good time management, an overload of homework can crowd out time for personal interests.

Excessive workload

The issue of excessive workload is a common complaint among students. Spending several hours on homework after a full school day can be mentally and physically draining. This workload can lead to burnout, decreased motivation, and negative attitudes toward school and learning.

While homework can help consolidate classroom learning, too much can be counterproductive. It's important to consider the overall workload of students, including school, extracurricular activities, and personal time, when assigning homework.

Limited time for reflection

Homework can limit the time students have for reflection. Reflection is a critical part of learning, allowing students to digest and integrate new information. With the constant flow of assignments, there's often little time left for this crucial process. Consequently, the learning becomes superficial, and the true understanding of subjects can be compromised.

Although homework is meant to reinforce what's taught in class, the lack of downtime for reflection might hinder deep learning. It's important to remember that learning is not just about doing, but also about thinking.

Increased pressure on young children

Young children are particularly vulnerable to the pressures of homework. At an age where play and exploration are vital for cognitive and emotional development, too much homework can create undue pressure and stress. This pressure can instigate a negative relationship with learning from an early age, potentially impacting their future attitude towards education.

Advocates of homework often argue that it prepares children for the rigors of their future academic journey. However, placing too much academic pressure on young children might overshadow the importance of learning through play and exploration.

Lack of alignment with real-world skills

Traditional homework often lacks alignment with real-world skills. Assignments typically focus on academic abilities at the expense of skills like creativity, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. These are crucial for success in the modern workplace and are often under-emphasized in homework tasks.

Homework can be an opportunity to develop these skills when properly structured. However, tasks often focus on memorization and repetition, rather than cultivating skills relevant to the real world.

Loss of motivation

Excessive homework can lead to a loss of motivation. The constant pressure to complete assignments and meet deadlines can diminish a student's intrinsic motivation to learn. This loss of motivation might not only affect their academic performance but also their love of learning, potentially having long-term effects on their educational journey.

Some believe homework instills discipline and responsibility. But, it's important to balance these benefits against the potential for homework to undermine motivation and engagement.

Disruption of work-life balance

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is as important for students as it is for adults. Overloading students with homework can disrupt this balance, leaving little time for relaxation, socializing, and extracurricular activities. All of these are vital for a student's overall development and well-being.

Homework supporters might argue that it prepares students for the workloads they'll face in college and beyond. But it's also crucial to ensure students have time to relax, recharge, and engage in non-academic activities for a well-rounded development.

Impact on mental health

There's a growing body of evidence showing the negative impact of excessive homework on students' mental health. The stress and anxiety from heavy homework loads can contribute to issues like depression, anxiety, and even thoughts of suicide. Student well-being should be a top priority in education, and the impact of homework on mental health cannot be ignored.

While some might argue that homework helps students develop resilience and coping skills, it's important to ensure these potential benefits don't come at the expense of students' mental health.

Limited time for self-care

With excessive homework, students often find little time for essential self-care activities. These can include physical exercise, proper rest, healthy eating, mindfulness, or even simple leisure activities. These activities are critical for maintaining physical health, emotional well-being, and cognitive function.

Some might argue that managing homework alongside self-care responsibilities teaches students valuable life skills. However, it's important that these skills don't come at the cost of students' health and well-being.

Decreased family involvement

Homework can inadvertently lead to decreased family involvement in a child's learning. Parents often feel unqualified or too busy to help with homework, leading to missed opportunities for family learning interactions. This can also create stress and conflict within the family, especially when parents have high expectations or are unable to assist.

Some believe homework can facilitate parental involvement in education. But, when it becomes a source of stress or conflict, it can discourage parents from engaging in their child's learning.

Reinforcement of inequalities

Homework can unintentionally reinforce inequalities. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds might lack access to resources like private tutors or a quiet study space, placing them at a disadvantage compared to their more privileged peers. Additionally, these students might have additional responsibilities at home, further limiting their time to complete homework.

While the purpose of homework is often to provide additional learning opportunities, it can inadvertently reinforce existing disparities. Therefore, it's essential to ensure that homework doesn't favor students who have more resources at home.

Reduced time for play and creativity

Homework can take away from time for play and creative activities. These activities are not only enjoyable but also crucial for the cognitive, social, and emotional development of children. Play allows children to explore, imagine, and create, fostering innovative thinking and problem-solving skills.

Some may argue that homework teaches discipline and responsibility. Yet, it's vital to remember that play also has significant learning benefits and should be a part of every child's daily routine.

Increased cheating and academic dishonesty

The pressure to complete homework can sometimes lead to increased cheating and academic dishonesty. When faced with a large volume of homework, students might resort to copying from friends or searching for answers online. This undermines the educational value of homework and fosters unhealthy academic practices.

While homework is intended to consolidate learning, the risk of promoting dishonest behaviors is a concern that needs to be addressed.

Strained teacher-student relationships

Excessive homework can strain teacher-student relationships. If students begin to associate teachers with stress or anxiety from homework, it can hinder the development of a positive learning relationship. Furthermore, if teachers are perceived as being unfair or insensitive with their homework demands, it can impact the overall classroom dynamic.

While homework can provide an opportunity for teachers to monitor student progress, it's important to ensure that it doesn't negatively affect the teacher-student relationship.

Negative impact on family dynamics

Homework can impact family dynamics. Parents might feel compelled to enforce homework completion, leading to potential conflict, stress, and tension within the family. These situations can disrupt the harmony in the household and strain relationships.

Homework is sometimes seen as a tool to engage parents in their child's education. However, it's crucial to ensure that this involvement doesn't turn into a source of conflict or pressure.

Cultural and individual differences

Homework might not take into account cultural and individual differences. Education is not a one-size-fits-all process, and what works for one student might not work for another. Some students might thrive on hands-on learning, while others prefer auditory or visual learning methods. By standardizing homework, we might ignore these individual learning styles and preferences.

Homework can also overlook cultural differences. For students from diverse cultural backgrounds, certain types of homework might seem irrelevant or difficult to relate to, leading to disengagement or confusion.

Encouragement of surface-level learning

Homework often encourages surface-level learning instead of deep understanding. When students are swamped with homework, they're likely to rush through assignments to get them done, rather than taking the time to understand the concepts. This can result in superficial learning where students memorize information to regurgitate it on assignments and tests, instead of truly understanding and internalizing the knowledge.

While homework is meant to reinforce classroom learning, the quality of learning is more important than the quantity. It's important to design homework in a way that encourages deep, meaningful learning instead of mere rote memorization.

Related posts:

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  • HPA Axis (Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis)
  • General Adaptation Syndrome Theory
  • Careers in Psychology
  • The Stress Response (General Adaptation Syndome)

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Why Homework Should Not Be Banned: 10 Compelling Reasons

by Michael Johnson | Mar 26, 2024

student completing homework and engaging with the material. This is one of the main reasons homework should not be banned.

So I’m sure you’re asking the question of why homework should not be banned? As experts in education and student development, we understand the vital role homework plays in reinforcing classroom learning, honing essential skills, and preparing students for the challenges of higher education and the workforce. Despite ongoing debates on its effectiveness, banning homework would deprive students of valuable opportunities to deepen their understanding, enhance critical thinking abilities, and cultivate a strong work ethic. In this article, we delve into the myriad benefits of homework in education, shedding light on why it remains an indispensable tool for academic success. Let’s breakdown 10 compelling reasons for why homework should not be banned.

1. Reinforces Learning:

Let’s start with number 1. Not only does homework reinforce classroom learning, but it also cultivates essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and time management. By engaging with homework assignments, students are able to delve deeper into the material, make connections between different concepts, and develop a sense of independence in their learning journey. This active participation in their education not only enhances their academic performance but also prepares them for success in future endeavors.

2. Builds Responsibility and Accountability:

In addition, homework also helps students develop crucial time management and organizational skills. By planning their study schedules and prioritizing tasks, students not only become more efficient in their academic pursuits but also set a strong foundation for future success in their careers and personal lives. Learning to juggle multiple responsibilities and deadlines through homework assignments ultimately prepares students for the challenges they will face in the real world.

3. Develops Time Management Skills:

In addition to honing time management skills, homework also teaches students the importance of discipline and perseverance. By facing challenges and overcoming obstacles, students build resilience and develop a strong work ethic. These qualities not only benefit them in their academic pursuits but also prepare them for success in their future careers and personal endeavors.

4. Encourages Independent Learning:

Furthermore, by tackling homework assignments independently, students develop valuable problem-solving skills that will benefit them in their academic and professional journeys. This hands-on approach to learning not only enhances comprehension but also cultivates a sense of responsibility and self-reliance. In essence, homework serves as a stepping stone towards fostering a well-rounded and intellectually curious individual.

5. Prepares Students for Tests and Exams:

Homework plays a crucial role in preparing students for tests and exams. It allows them to review material, practice problem-solving, and assess their understanding. This preparation can lead to better performance on assessments and reduce test anxiety, as students feel more confident in their abilities.

6. Fosters Positive Study Habits:

Furthermore, to enhancing academic performance, homework also cultivates essential skills such as time management, self-discipline, and critical thinking. By engaging with homework assignments, students can develop a deeper level of comprehension and retention of the material. This not only boosts their confidence but also fosters a sense of independence and responsibility in their learning journey. Ultimately, homework serves as a valuable tool in empowering students to achieve success in their educational pursuits.

7. Provides Feedback for Improvement:

In addition, homework allows teachers to track students’ progress over time, pinpointing strengths and weaknesses in their comprehension. This detailed insight enables educators to tailor their instruction to meet individual learning needs, fostering a more effective and engaging educational experience. Ultimately, the feedback loop created by homework assignments plays a crucial role in guiding students towards academic success and personal growth.

8. Engages Parents in the Learning Process:

Engaging parents in their child’s learning process through homework not only strengthens the bond between home and school but also empowers parents to actively participate in their child’s education. By actively reviewing assignments, parents can identify areas where their child may need extra support and guidance, ultimately enhancing the learning experience. This collaboration between home and school creates a supportive environment that nurtures student success and growth.

9. Encourages a Lifelong Love of Learning:

Having homework assignments not only deepens students’ understanding of a subject but also ignites a sense of wonder and enthusiasm for learning. By delving into various topics, following their curiosity, and drawing connections between different ideas, students develop a genuine passion for knowledge. This drive towards intrinsic motivation is crucial for continuous personal development and a lifelong journey of discovery. This is one of the reasons why it’s so important for homework to not be banned.

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10. Prepares Students for the Real World:

Furthermore, by completing homework assignments, students also learn valuable time management and organizational skills that are essential in both their academic and professional lives. These tasks teach students how to prioritize their responsibilities, set goals, and efficiently allocate their time, all of which are crucial abilities for success in any field. Overall, homework acts as a bridge between the classroom and the real world, equipping students with the necessary tools to thrive in their future endeavors.

To conclude, homework also serves as a means to enhance time management skills, instill a sense of discipline, and promote a strong work ethic in students. By completing assignments outside of the classroom, students have the opportunity to delve deeper into the material, seek clarification on any areas of confusion, and ultimately reinforce their understanding of the subject matter. These additional opportunities for practice and engagement not only contribute to academic success but also lay the foundation for lifelong learning habits.

By embracing the positive aspects of homework and working together to address any concerns, educators can ensure that it remains a valuable tool in the educational journey of students. I hope we were able to give you the 10 compelling reasons on why homework should not be banned. Have your own reasons? Have an argument against homework? Make your opinion known in the comments below and lets start a discussion!

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15 reasons why homework should not be banned

Why Homework Should Be Banned: Exposing the Downsides

15 reasons why homework should not be banned

Ever find yourself tangled in the timeless debate over homework's place in the grand scheme of education? We've all been there, juggling report writing, math headaches, and the daunting task of creating scientific masterpieces. But here's the real head-scratcher: Is homework truly the indispensable learning buddy we've always thought it to be, or is it time for a reevaluation? Some swear by its magic and explain why should homework not be banned, while others can't help but wonder if it's become more of a cumbersome load on our students. Surveys even hint at a connection between too much schoolwork and the stress and health woes of our budding scholars. Beyond the academic hustle, there's a rallying cry for an all-out homework ban for a host of other reasons.

In the spirit of our friendly exploration, let's roll up our sleeves and delve into the nitty-gritty of why some folks champion schoolwork as a necessary companion on the learning journey while others share reasons why homework should be banned. Our essay writing service experts will sift through real-life success stories of schools or places where the ban-homework movement has gained traction, exploring the outcomes and implications.

10 Reasons Why Homework Should Be Banned

Now, let's shine a spotlight on the crux of the matter – the top 10 reasons why the cry for banned homework is getting louder.

homework should be banned

Too Much Homework

School takes up all time, messes with sleep and health, no time for exercise.

  • Makes Stress and Anxiety Worse
  • Less Time to Hang Out with Friends
  • Not Enough Time for Myself
  • Less Time with Family
  • Fights with Parents
  • Limits Student Freedom

From the perennial issue of too much homework to the struggle for personal time and the toll it takes on sleep, health, and relationships, each reason is a thread in the tapestry of the anti-homework movement. So, let our ' do my homework ' writers uncover the challenges that homework poses on multiple fronts.

 Tired of Wrestling with Homework Monsters?

Let our team of academic superheroes swoop in! Essays, assignments, no challenge too big.

Ah, the perpetual struggle against the mountainous pile of homework! It seems like every student's lament, doesn't it? The argument for why homework should be banned isn't about shirking responsibilities but rather about striking a balance. When the load becomes overwhelming, it can lead to stress, burnout, and a loss of the joy of learning.

Imagine the energy and enthusiasm that high school or college students could channel into exploring their passions or honing other essential life skills if they weren't constantly buried beneath assignments. The quantity of homework should complement the learning process, not overshadow it. A bit of reflection on the purpose and effectiveness of each assignment might just be the key to making homework a valuable tool rather than a source of dread.

But fear not! Here's a game-changer to transform your homework woes into a breeze – our homework planner online . This nifty tool is all about making school life simpler and boosting your study game. Easily keep tabs on tasks, exams, seminars, and even classmates' birthdays. No more missing deadlines – get timely notifications for upcoming classes, pending homework, and approaching exams. Take the reins of your schedule, customize your school calendar, and stay ahead with our clever homework manager. You can even hand off tasks to experienced experts. Consider it your go-to for acing your academic adventure!

The education system plays a pivotal role in shaping young minds, but should it consume every waking hour? The argument here isn't against the significance of learning but rather about reclaiming a sense of balance. School should be a place that nurtures well-rounded individuals, not a 24/7 commitment that leaves no room for personal exploration and growth. The discussion around the need for a homework ban amplifies this call for a more balanced and holistic educational experience.

Think about it—what about those hobbies that spark creativity, the friendships that build character, and the downtime that allows for self-reflection? When school takes up all the time, these crucial elements of personal development often fall by the wayside. The question then becomes: Are we preparing students for a life of constant work, or are we instilling in them the tools to navigate a diverse and fulfilling existence? It's time to reconsider the hours spent on school-related activities and ensure that students have the time and space to become well-rounded individuals who are not just academically adept but also equipped for the complexities of the real world.

Picture this: a student burning the midnight oil to complete assignments, sacrificing precious hours of sleep. It's a scenario all too common in the realm of repetitive homework tasks, and it begs the question—what's the cost to one's well-being? Sleep is not a luxury; it's a biological necessity. When homework interferes with this fundamental aspect of health, it becomes a cause for concern.

The repercussions extend beyond just feeling groggy in class. Lack of sleep can impact cognitive function, memory, and even mood. The irony is that the very tasks meant to enhance learning might be hindering it by compromising the health of students. Perhaps it's time to ask whether the pursuit of academic excellence should come at the expense of a good night's sleep and overall well-being.

In the hustle and bustle of academic demands, physical activity often takes a back seat. The argument here isn't about making everyone a fitness enthusiast but recognizing the vital role exercise plays in maintaining a healthy body and mind. When homework becomes an insurmountable obstacle, the opportunity for physical activity diminishes, contributing to a sedentary lifestyle that can have long-term consequences.

Exercise is not just about staying fit; it's a natural stress reliever and mood enhancer. By sidelining physical activity, we risk compromising not only physical health but also mental and emotional well-being. As we advocate for a balanced and holistic education, let's consider the importance of creating space for exercise and fostering healthy habits that extend beyond the confines of the classroom.

More Stress and Worry

Our dissertation service experts believe that homework, when excessive, can turn into a breeding ground for stress and worry. It's not just about meeting deadlines; it's about the toll it takes on the mental health of students. The pressure to excel academically is a given, but when the scale tips too far, it can result in a generation of students burdened with anxiety and worry.

Education is meant to be empowering, not anxiety-inducing. The worry about grades, completing assignments, and maintaining a stellar academic record can overshadow the joy of learning. Striking a balance that allows for intellectual growth without compromising mental health is not just a plea for sanity but a call for a more compassionate approach to education. After all, education should be a journey that enlightens, not a path wrought with stress and constant apprehension.

Homework Gets in the Way of Friends

Remember the laughter, camaraderie, and shared moments with friends? Excessive homework seems to have a knack for wedging itself between these precious connections. Friendships are not just a delightful aspect of student life; they contribute significantly to social development, emotional support, and the overall well-being of individuals.

When homework monopolizes time, the opportunity to nurture these vital friendships dwindles. It's not merely about hanging out; it's about the exchanges that shape character, build resilience, and offer perspectives beyond the confines of textbooks. Perhaps it's time to question whether homework should stand as a barrier to the formation of these meaningful relationships.

Not Enough Time for Oneself

In the race to complete assignments and meet deadlines, one casualty often overlooked is personal time. Every student needs moments of solitude and self-reflection. It's in these moments that passions are discovered, creativity thrives, and a sense of self deepens. Yet, the perpetual avalanche of homework leaves little room for this crucial aspect of personal development.

Time for oneself is not a luxury but a necessity. It's the space where one explores interests, dreams, and aspirations beyond the academic realm. When homework becomes an all-consuming force, it deprives students of the opportunity to discover their unique strengths and inclinations. The discussion on why should homework be banned calls for the reevaluation of the true purpose of education – is it merely about grades, or is it also about nurturing individuals who are self-aware, curious, and passionate about their own journeys?

Less Family Time

Family, the cornerstone of support and love, often takes a backseat when homework becomes the tyrant of time. Quality family time is not just a sentimental ideal; it plays a pivotal role in shaping values, building strong foundations, and fostering emotional well-being. However, when the demands of school spill over into every corner of a student's life and there is constant worry about how to write a coursework , family time inevitably suffers.

Think about the conversations around the dinner table, the shared activities, and the simple joys of being together. Excessive homework disrupts these essential moments, potentially eroding the very support system that is crucial for a student's success and happiness. It's a call to reconsider the balance between academic pursuits and the priceless moments spent with family members – moments that contribute to a well-rounded, emotionally resilient individual.

Arguments with Parents

Homework often becomes the battlefield for nightly skirmishes between parents and students. While parents may perceive themselves as enforcers of responsibility, the constant struggle over completing assignments can strain the parent-child relationship. It's not just about completing tasks; it's about the quality of family interactions and the emotional toll these conflicts can take.

The pressure to excel academically, often exacerbated by homework, can create a tense atmosphere at home. Arguments over study hours, completion of assignments, and academic performance can overshadow the nurturing and supportive role that parents are ideally meant to play, emphasizing the importance of parents' support. The discussion around a potential homework ban prompts us to question whether the burden of excessive homework is fostering a healthy parent-child dynamic or inadvertently becoming a source of familial tension.

Limits Students' Freedom

Ah, freedom—the essence of youth. Yet, excessive homework can feel like an invisible chains, restricting the very freedom that defines the student experience. Beyond academic pursuits, students need the freedom to explore, create, and discover their passions. At our college essay writing service , we firmly believe when homework becomes an all-encompassing force, it infringes upon this fundamental aspect of personal growth.

Think about the projects left unfinished, the books unread, and the hobbies neglected. The lack of freedom extends beyond the physical confines of the classroom; it infiltrates the very essence of what it means to be a student. It's time to reflect on whether education should be a process of liberation, encouraging students to spread their intellectual wings, or if it should be a rigid structure that confines them to a predetermined path.

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Why Should Homework Not Be Banned: Exploring 5 Benefits

Now that we've delved into the challenges and concerns surrounding homework let's pivot to the other side of the debate. While there are valid arguments against excessive homework, it's essential to consider the potential benefits that well-structured assignments can bring to a student's academic and personal development. Let's explore five reasons why homework, when approached thoughtfully, may have its merits.

homework not banned

Instills Discipline in Students

According to our essay writer , assigning homework in moderation serves as a valuable tool for instilling discipline in students. The process of setting aside time, managing tasks, and adhering to deadlines cultivates essential skills that extend far beyond the academic realm. It lays the foundation for time management, responsibility, and a strong work ethic—qualities that are undeniably beneficial as students transition into adulthood.

Consider homework as a training ground for life's challenges. Completing assignments teaches students to prioritize, organize, and persevere in the face of tasks that may not always align with their immediate desires. In this sense, homework becomes more than just a task; it becomes a character-building exercise that prepares students for the responsibilities they'll encounter in various facets of life.

Fosters Improved Understanding Among Peers

Collaboration is a cornerstone of effective learning, and well-designed homework assignments can facilitate improved understanding among peers. When considering why should homework not be banned, doing group projects or assignments with others not only helps students grasp the subject more deeply but also gets them better at teamwork.

Homework that encourages group discussions, knowledge sharing, and joint problem-solving contributes to a dynamic learning environment. Students learn not only from textbooks and lectures but also from the diverse perspectives of their peers. This fosters a sense of community within the classroom, promoting a cooperative spirit that extends beyond the completion of assignments and into the broader context of learning and growth.

Equips Students for Real-World Challenges

One of the often-overlooked benefits of homework lies in its capacity to prepare students for the challenges they'll face in the real world. Assignments that require critical thinking, problem-solving, and independent research mirror the complexities of professional and personal life beyond the classroom.

Consider a scenario where students are tasked with solving real-world problems, conducting interviews, or researching current events. These assignments not only deepen their understanding of the subject matter but also equip them with the practical skills needed for navigating the complexities of adulthood. Homework, when designed with an eye toward relevance, becomes a bridge between theoretical knowledge and the practical application of that knowledge in the real world.

Cultivates Skills and Expertise

Homework, when thoughtfully crafted, serves as a platform for students to cultivate a diverse set of skills and expertise. Beyond the acquisition of knowledge, assignments can hone analytical thinking, research skills, and the ability to articulate ideas effectively. Whether it's a written essay, a science project, or a math homework paper , each task contributes to the development of specific skills that are crucial for success in various fields.

Consider the student who delves into a research project or a creative endeavor as part of their homework. This isn't merely about completing an assignment; it's an opportunity for them to explore their interests, deepen their expertise in a particular area, and develop a passion for lifelong learning. Homework, in this sense, becomes a vehicle for skill development and personal growth, nurturing students into well-rounded individuals equipped to face the challenges of a rapidly evolving world.

Fosters a Sense of Responsibility

Responsibility is a trait that transcends academic achievements and holds immense value in the broader spectrum of life. Homework, when approached with a sense of accountability, instills in students the importance of meeting obligations and honoring commitments.

Consider the student who consistently completes assignments, meets deadlines, and takes ownership of their academic responsibilities. This isn't just about earning good grades; it's about fostering a sense of responsibility that will serve them well in future endeavors. So, when arguing for why should homework not be banned, it becomes a microcosm of life's demands, teaching students the significance of reliability and accountability—qualities that are indispensable in both personal and professional spheres.

Banning Homework: Successful Cases

As the debate over homework rages on, some educational institutions and communities have taken a bold step—banning or significantly reducing homework. Let's explore a few stories of schools that have embraced this approach and the impact it has had on students, families, and the overall learning environment.

The Case of P.S. 116 in New York City:

In a groundbreaking move, P.S. 116, a public elementary school in New York City, decided to ban traditional homework for its students. Instead, the school focused on fostering a love for reading and encouraged students to engage in activities outside the classroom. The decision was based on research indicating that excessive homework might not necessarily lead to improved academic outcomes, and it could even contribute to stress and burnout.

The results were compelling. Parents reported a positive change in their children's attitude toward learning, with elementary students becoming more motivated and enthusiastic. Teachers noted that without the burden of traditional homework, they had more time for meaningful interactions with students during class hours. The experiment not only challenged conventional norms but also showcased the potential benefits of reimagining the role of homework in the learning process.

Finland's Education System:

Finland, often lauded for its innovative approach to education, has significantly reduced the emphasis on homework in its schools. Instead of focusing on quantity, Finnish educators prioritize the quality of instruction during school hours. Students are encouraged to engage in extracurricular activities, spend time with their families, and pursue interests outside of the academic realm.

The success of this approach is reflected in Finland's consistently high rankings in global education assessments. Students in Finland not only perform well academically but also report higher levels of satisfaction and well-being. The Finnish model challenges the notion that copious amounts of homework are essential for academic success and underscores the importance of a balanced and holistic approach to education.

The Harris Cooper Study:

While not a case of a specific school, the work of Harris Cooper, a renowned homework researcher, provides valuable insights into the impact of homework. Cooper's comprehensive analysis of various studies on homework found that, in elementary school, homework has little to no effect on academic achievement. In high school, the correlation between homework and achievement is modest, and excessive homework can have negative effects on well-being.

These cases and studies collectively suggest that reevaluating the role of homework can lead to positive outcomes for students and contribute to a more balanced and effective education system. As schools and communities continue to experiment with homework policies, these stories offer valuable lessons in shaping the future of education.

Final Outlook

So, here we are, exploring the reasons people say why homework should be banned, a mix of worries and possible advantages. It's a bit like navigating the ever-shifting currents of education, isn't it?

As we contemplate the future of education, let's pause. Let's ponder a landscape where the weight of assignments doesn't overshadow the joy of discovery. It's a quest for balance—where academic rigor dances with personal well-being, creating a melody that echoes through the halls of learning.

So, here's to an education that nurtures not just the mind but the spirit, an education that cherishes the uniqueness of each learner. As we stride forward, let's envision a realm where homework isn't a battleground but a bridge to knowledge and where the pursuit of excellence walks hand in hand with the pursuit of happiness. Cheers to finding that sweet spot in the symphony of education!

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Published: Apr 29, 2022

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Introduction, why homework should not be banned, homework is not a burden, works cited.

  • Basas, B. (2018). Homework should not be seen as a burden but as an avenue to instill discipline and responsibility among learners. Manila Bulletin.
  • Department of Education (DepEd). (2018). No Homework Policy for Public Elementary Schools and Student in DepEd Memorandum No. 392.
  • Gonzales, N. (2019). Homework debate: Too much, too little or busy work? U.S. News & World Report.
  • Kohn, A. (2006). The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing. Da Capo Press.
  • Loveless, T. (2021). Homework in America. Brown Center Chalkboard.
  • Muniz, B. (2020). Homework: Is It Beneficial or Detrimental to Student Performance? The Education Review, 6(2), 31-45.
  • National Education Association. (n.d.). Research Spotlight on Homework.
  • Pomerantz, E. M., & Moorman, E. A. (2012). Parents' involvement in children's schooling: Longitudinal effects on academic outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(3), 820-832.
  • Trautwein, U., & Köller, O. (2003). The relationship between homework and achievement—Still much of a mystery. Educational Psychology Review, 15(2), 115-145.
  • Xu, J. (2010). Homework completion and academic achievement : A longitudinal analysis of parental influence. Journal of Family Issues, 31(11), 1518-1539.

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15 reasons why homework should not be banned

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Why Homework Should Not Be Banned

Why should homework not be banned?

It’s no surprise that many students wish that homework did not exist. It’s an age old problem since students began coming to school. While homework can be a lot of work I want to discuss some reasons why homework should not be banned. It’s actually more helpful than you’d think.

Reason 1: Repetition Matters

Believe it or not, practice makes perfect. While homework is some of the most tedious work that you’ll do as a student, it plays a pivotal role in learning. Homework makes the student put the concepts they’ve learned into practice without the high stakes of an exam. It’s the perfect benchmark for a student to realize if they’re learning the material or not. It’s also extremely helpful in identifying areas of weakness for a student. Once they know these areas of weakness, they’re able to hone in on them and perfect them before an exam.

Reason 2: Fostering Independence

Homework also serves a role in fostering independence for students. This independence is necessary for students to develop as they’ll be using these skills for the rest of their lives. If a student is pursuing a higher education, homework drills in the necessary study skills for succeeding while away at school. In addition, it forces the student to have accountability for their education outside of the classroom. They’ll learn to self motivate and pursue learning opportunities outside of school.

Reason 3: Project Experience

Many students grow to resent group projects. It can be a hassle to schedule meetings after school hours and get the team to do their part. These issues are what makes project experience so important. For many students, they’ll begin developing leadership skills because of these group projects. It also creates accountability for students that are held by other students in their group. This kind of homework most important as students will be using the experience gained for the rest of their lives professionally.

Reason 4: Benchmark for Teachers

Another reason why homework should not be banned is the importance of teachers benchmarking the class. If a teacher notices that most of their student’s are struggling with the homework, they’ll take that as a point about their lesson teaching style. Maybe the teacher didn’t spend enough time discussing the concepts. Maybe they need to approach it from a different angle. These are all important questions for teachers to ask themselves that wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for homework.

Reason 5: Time Management

Time management is a skill most people struggle with. It takes time to develop these skills and for many, this skill is delayed. Homework is important for students as it forces them to prioritize certain tasks and to manage their time effectively. If a student has a job, social life, or extracurriculars, they’ll be force to confront the issue of time management head on. This effectively helps them become a better independent person as well as learner.

So that’s my 5 reasons on why homework should not be banned. Do you have questions or comments? We’d love to hear from you! Please contact us today with any info or questions you may have!

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Why (Most) Homework Should Be Banned

The 30-minute rule is there to justify giving a lot of homework

Anthony Malcolm ‘23 , Staff Writer December 8, 2022

There are plenty of reasons why (most) homework should be banned. I’ll start out with some general facts and look at homework in general, then go into some detail about our school.

Stanford conducted a study surveying over 4,300 students in 10 high performing high schools in California. More than 70% of the students said they were “often or always stressed over schoolwork,” with 56% claiming that homework was the main stressor. But here’s the kicker: Less than 1% said homework was not a stressor. 

The researchers then asked the students if they had exhibited symptoms of stress like headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss, and stomach problems. More than 80% of the students reported at least one stress related symptom recently and 44% claimed they experienced 3 or more symptoms. The study also found that students who spend a lot of time working on homework experience more stress, physical health problems, and a lack of balance in their lives. The study claimed that any more than 2 hours of homework per night was counterproductive, and that the students who spent too much time on homework were more likely to not participate in activities and hobbies, and stop seeing friends and family. 

A smaller NYU study claimed that students at elite high schools are susceptible to chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, and alcohol and drug abuse. About half of the students said they received at least 3 hours of homework a night on top of being pressured to take college level classes and participate in extracurricular activities (sound familiar?). The study claims that many of the students felt they were being worked as hard as adults, and they said that their workload seemed inappropriate for their development level. The study reported that the students felt that they had little time for relaxing and hobbies. More than two thirds of students said they used alcohol or drugs, primarily marijuana, to cope with the stress.

Back to the Stanford study for a second; many of the students claimed that the homework was “pointless” or “mindless.” The study argues that homework should have a purpose and benefit, which should be to cultivate learning. One of the main reasons is that school feels like a full-time job at this point. We, as in BC High students, are in school from 8:25 till 2:40; most of us have some sort of extracurricular activity on top of that, and most of us have significant commutes, which means we are getting home much later. On top of a rigorous day at school, an afterschool activity, and a commute, we have to deal with a varying amount of homework every night. Sometimes it is 2 hours, sometimes 3, sometimes even 4. I will give you an example of a day in my life last year to provide a specific example, because we are not a one size fits all community. 

I live in Middleboro and Bridgewater, so I ride the train to school which takes 50 minutes to an hour. A spring day last year would start by waking up at 5:30 and then leaving my house to get to the train at 6:30-6:35, getting on the train at 6:50, getting off the train at 7:50, and arriving at the school before classes started at 8:20. I would go through the school day and stay after for track practice. After track, I would most likely get on the train at 5:00 and get home at 6:15. I would eat dinner, shower, and then start my homework around 7:30-8, and usually I would finish somewhere between 10:30ish to 11:30ish. Can you see how that can be misconstrued as a full-time job?

Some of you might be thinking (especially any teacher reading this), why didn’t you use the 30-minute rule? Well, because most (and I mean MOST) of the time the 30-minute rule is an ineffective rule that justifies giving students a lot of homework. If you use the 30-minute rule and don’t finish a homework assignment, it still has to be completed sometime, and you’ll be behind in class. It is only effective when a teacher plans for the 30-minute rule and tells you to stop at 30 minutes to get an idea of how long an assignment takes their students. The 30-minute rule is there to justify giving a lot of homework because if you say in class that the homework took a long time, you will probably be told about the 30-minute rule. But if you used the 30-minute rule, you would have an unfinished homework assignment which means, depending on the class, you would be lost and behind, and you would still have to do it at some point. If you should have to justify giving a lot of homework, then it is probably too much. 

Parker, Clifton B. “Stanford Research Shows Pitfalls of Homework.” Stanford University , 10 Mar. 2014, http://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/march/too-much-homework-031014.html . 

Communications, NYU Web. NYU Study Examines Top High School Students’ Stress and Coping Mechanisms . http://www.nyu.edu/content/nyu/en/about/news-publications/news/2015/august/nyu

-study-examines-top-high-school-students-stress-and-coping-mechanisms . 

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21 Reasons Why Homework Should Be Banned

homework pros and cons

The homework debate has strong arguments on both sides. Commonly-cited reasons why homework should be banned include the idea that it is often counterproductive, stifles students’ creativity, and limits their freedom outside the classroom.

Students already have up to 7 hours of schoolwork to complete 5 days a week; adding more contributes to increased anxiety, burnout, and overall poor performance.

But arguments for homework include the fact it does increase student grades (Cooper, Robinson & Patall, 2006), it instils discipline, and it helps to reinforce what was learned into long-term memory.

The following are common arguments for banning homework – note that this is an article written to stimulate debate points on the topic, so it only presents one perspective. For the other side of the argument, it’s worth checking out my article on the 27 pros and cons of homework .

Reasons Why Homework Should Be Banned

1. it contributes to increased anxiety.

If there’s one word that describes middle-school and high-school students, it’s anxiety. In my homework statistics article , I cite research showing that 74% of students cite homework as a source of stress.

They have so much to juggle, from the novelty of adolescence to the realization that they must soon start preparing for college and their life after (Pressman et al., 2015).

It’s a lot to manage, and adding homework that reduces their free time and makes them even more restricted is downright harmful. The natural outcome of this dogpile of pressure is anxiety, and many students often feel overwhelmed, both by the hours and hours of coursework in a day and the extensive homework they are assigned (Galloway, Conner & Pope, 2013).

Because teachers often don’t communicate with one another over curricula, major assignments can overlap such that students have to tackle numerous large projects at once, which contributes to severe anxiety over good grades.

In response to this, some students check out of school entirely, letting their academic future go to waste. While, of course, it’s not fair to strawman and say that homework is to blame for all these cases, it may indeed by a contributing factor.

2. It Offers Less Social Time

Homework cuts out free time. Children already spend the better part of their day learning in a school environment, and when they come home, they need to socialize.

Whether it’s family or friends, a social balance is important. Depending on the coursework they’re assigned, homework can detrimentally affect students’ social life, which feed back into more of our first gripe about homework: its anxiety-inducing nature.

Furthermore, social time is extremely important for children to grow up well-balanced and confident. If a child is highly intelligent (book smart) but lacks to social skills we might call street smarts , they may struggle in adulthood.

3. It Detracts from Play Time

Play is extremely important for children’s physical, social, and cognitive development . In fact, children naturally learn through play .

So, when children get home from school, they need a few hours to play. They’re actually learning when playing! If playing with friends, they’re learning social skills; but playing alone also stimulates creative and analytical thinking skills.

Play is also a different type of learning than the learning that commonly happens at school. So, allowing children to play at home gives their brain a break from ‘school learning’ and lets them learn through active and even relaxing methods.

4. It Discourages Physical Exercise and Contributes to Obesity

Exercise is an important part of life for everyone, but especially for children. Developing a positive self-image and disciplining oneself is an important skill to learn, one that becomes much more difficult when homework is in the picture.

Homework can demand a lot of attention that kids could be spending exercising or socializing. These two important life pursuits can be left by the wayside, leaving students feeling confused, depressed, and anxious about the future.

Physical exercise should be considered a key feature of a child’s holistic development. It helps keep children healthy, can reduce anxiety, and support healthy immune systems. It also helps with physical development such as supporting fine and gross motor skills .

In fact, some scholars (Ren et al., 2017) have even identified excessive homework as a contributing factor for childhood obesity.

5. It Disrupts Sleep Patterns

Everyone knows the trope of a college student staying up late to finish their homework or cram for a test.

While it would be unfair to credit homework exclusively for an unhealthy sleep schedule, the constant pressure to finish assignments on time often yields one of two results.

Students can either burn the midnight oil to make sure their homework is done, or they can check out of school entirely and ignore their academic interests. Neither is an acceptable way to live.

This point is particularly pertinent to teenagers. They are not lazy; teens need 12-13 hours of sleep every day because their bodies are changing so dramatically.

To pile additional homework on them that interferes with the circadian rhythm is not just unhelpful—it may be downright harmful (Yeo et al., 2020).

6. It Involves Less Guidance

If there’s one thing that’s beneficial about the in-person learning experience, it’s the ability to raise one’s hand and let the teacher know when something is unclear or difficult to understand.

That handheld process isn’t available for homework; in fact, homework matters little in the grand scheme of learning. It’s just busywork that’s supposed to help students consolidate their knowledge.

In reality, homework becomes something that students resent and can fill them with feelings of frustration—something that would be much more readily addressed if the same content was covered in-person with a teacher to guide the student through the assignment.

7. It’s Regularly Rote Learning

In most subjects, homework isn’t reflective of the skills students need to learn to thrive in the workforce. Instead, it often simply involves rote learning (repetition of tasks) that is not seen as the best way to learn.

A main goal of education is to train up vocational professionals with defined skills. But more often than not, homework winds up as a bland set of word problems that have no basis in the real world.

Walking through real-world examples under the guidance of a teacher is much more beneficial to student learning.

8. It Can Detract from a Love of Learning

If you know what it’s like to doze off during a boring class or meeting, then you can relate to the difficulty students have paying attention in class.

That motivation starts to dwindle when students must complete assignments on their own time, often under immense pressure.

It’s not a healthy way to inspire kids to learn about different subjects and develop a love of learning.

Students already need to sit through hours and hours of class on end in-person. This learning time should be used more effectively to eliminate the need for home.

When children finally get out of class at the end of the day, they need to socialize and exercise, not spend even longer staring at a book to complete a bunch of unhelpful practice questions.

9. It Convolutes the Subject

Another important consideration about homework is that it can often be counterproductive.

That’s because teachers don’t always use the full curriculum material for their teaching, and they may choose to develop their own homework rather than to use the resources offered by the curriculum provider.

This homework can often be off-subject, extremely niche, or unhelpful in explaining a subject that students are studying.

Students who don’t understand a subject and don’t have resources to rely on will eventually give up. That risk becomes even more prevalent when you factor in the scope, complexity, and type of assignment.

Students need to be taught in a safe environment where they can feel free to ask questions and learn at their own pace. Of course, there’s no fairytale way to perfect this ideal, but what is clear is that homework is not beneficial to the learning environment for many students.

10. It’s Not What Kids Want

Lastly, homework should be banned because it’s generally not what students want. From elementary to college level, most students harbor some sort of resentment towards homework.

It might be easy to dismiss this to say that the students “aren’t living in the real world.” The truth of the matter is that the real world is a lot more nuanced, creative, and diverse than the repetitive, broad, and often stagnant homework.

It’s easy to understand why most students wish that more time in school had been spent on learning how to live rather than trying to figure out how many apples Johnny had. Subjects like car maintenance, entrepreneurship, computer skills, socialization, networking, tax filing, finances, and survival are touched on at best and ignored at worst.

It’s not enough for students to be able to regurgitate information on a piece of paper; in the end, the education system should teach them how to be self-sufficient, something that might be much easier to do if resources were divested from homework and poured into more beneficial subject material.

Consider these 11 Additional Reasons

  • Decreases time with parents – Homework may prevent parents and children from spending quality time together.
  • Hidden costs – Families often feel pressure to purchase internet and other resources to help their children to complete their homework.
  • Is inequitable – some children have parents to help them while others don’t. Similarly, some children have internet access to help while others don’t (see: Kralovec & Buell, 2001).
  • Easy to cheat – Unsupervised homework time makes it easy for children to simply cheat on their work so they can get on with play time!
  • Lack of downtime – Children need time where they aren’t doing anything. Time that is unstructured helps them to develop hobbies and interests .
  • Detracts from reading – Children could be spending their time reading books and developing their imaginations rather than working on repetitive homework tasks.
  • Take up parental time – Parents, who have just spent all day working, are increasingly expected to spend their time doing ‘teaching’ with their children at home.
  • Discourages club membership – If children are too busy with homework, they may not be able to join clubs and sporting groups that can help them make friends and develop extracurricular skills.
  • Makes it hard for college students to make a living – In college, where homework is extensive, students often can’t juggle homework with their weekend and night-time jobs. As a result, it pushes them further into student poverty.
  • Contributes to poor work-life culture – From early ages, we’re sending a message to children that they should take their work home with them. This can spill over into the workplace, where they’ll be expected to continue working for their company even after the workday ends.
  • Can reinforce faulty learning – When children learn in isolation during homework time, they may end up practicing their work completely wrong! They need intermittent support to make sure their practice is taking them down the right path.

Students may need to demonstrate their understanding of a topic to progress; that, at least, is a reflection of the real world. What’s not helpful is when students are peppered day and night with information that they need to regurgitate on a piece of paper.

For positive outcomes to come from homework, parents and teachers need to work together. It depends a lot on the type of homework provided as well as the age of the student and the need to balance homework with time to do other things in your life.

Cooper, H., Robinson, J. C., & Patall, E. A. (2006). Does homework improve academic achievement? A synthesis of research, 1987–2003.  Review of educational research ,  76 (1), 1-62.

Galloway, M., Conner, J., & Pope, D. (2013). Nonacademic effects of homework in privileged, high-performing high schools.  The journal of experimental education ,  81 (4), 490-510. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2012.745469

Kralovec, E., & Buell, J. (2001).  The end of homework: How homework disrupts families, overburdens children, and limits learning . Beacon Press.

Pressman, R. M., Sugarman, D. B., Nemon, M. L., Desjarlais, J., Owens, J. A., & Schettini-Evans, A. (2015). Homework and family stress: With consideration of parents’ self confidence, educational level, and cultural background.  The American Journal of Family Therapy ,  43 (4), 297-313. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/01926187.2015.1061407

Ren, H., Zhou, Z., Liu, W., Wang, X., & Yin, Z. (2017). Excessive homework, inadequate sleep, physical inactivity and screen viewing time are major contributors to high paediatric obesity.  Acta Paediatrica ,  106 (1), 120-127. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.13640

Yeo, S. C., Tan, J., Lo, J. C., Chee, M. W., & Gooley, J. J. (2020). Associations of time spent on homework or studying with nocturnal sleep behavior and depression symptoms in adolescents from Singapore.  Sleep Health ,  6 (6), 758-766. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2020.04.011

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Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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H ave you ever thought why the biggest part of students starts hating school with some time? More than a half of all their answers to this question will mention the necessity to do homework.

Whether the reasons for that are procrastination or lack of time but in any case, the topic of homework has been discussed by educators for many times. There are causes for both banning homework and leaving it in different amounts, but still, the home assignment benefits outweigh its drawbacks .

Homework in different countries

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to estimate how much time a child should spend on his or her homework. All the figures are strictly individual as nobody supposes that today a girl will suffer from a headache and a boy will have a volleyball competition. That means that they have to shorten their night sleep to cope with all the tasks assigned to them.

Another astonishing fact about the volumes of a home assignment given to school kids in different countries. If to consider that a child should have time for clubs, relaxation, friends apart from homework, it should not take more than one hour to complete all the tasks every day. But in some countries, people begin to doubt the fact that homework should not be banned: statistics are terrifying. The research by OECD that was analyzing the homework of 15-year-old school kids has shown that Italian children are overwhelmed with homework as they have to spend over 9 hours on it weekly . The other countries where children have to work over 6 hours on their tasks are Ireland, Poland, the USA and Australia . No wonder children would rather find hundreds of other activities than do their home assignments.

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At the same time, each person realizes that homework is extremely important in studying. According to the Cooper’s review of homework studies , 70% of students show better academic success thanks to homework they were completing. Consequently, we should not underestimate its benefits and now it is time to focus on the reasons why it should not be banned.

  • Home environment can be more productive for some pupils than a classroom one Not all children are capable of coping with the tension that appears in the classroom because of different reasons: time limits, scolding other students, noise etc. That is why a home can have a more productive atmosphere as there is no competition, restrictions and you can learn material at your own pace in the place where you feel comfortable and relaxed.
  • Parents have a representation of the things that happen in the classroom A necessity to do and check homework makes parents more involved in studying . Sometimes children may have troubles with some topics or even subjects and difficulties with homework can be a ringing bell to provide assistance to your child. Moreover, it encourages parents to communicate with their children more.
  • Homework boosts interaction between students and teachers Homework is done for different purposes but one of them is improved interaction between learners and educators. Students not only ask questions but also visit after class activities to be able to deal with it themselves.
  • Additional practice Not all the information is grasped by students at the lessons. Sometimes the percentage of this knowledge is relatively low, but the requirements of the curriculum make teachers give many self-study tasks home for them to achieve better test results. Moreover, the obligation to repeat the material learnt at the lesson contributes to its better memorizing and understanding.
  • It teaches students responsibility When students only visit classes they have no idea how difficult it is for teachers to prepare for the lessons and may behave abusively. When they are given assignments on a regular basis, they raise responsibility, punctuality, and executivity. These features can be very useful for the future career too.
  • Homework improves presentation skills Diligent students do their best to impress their teachers in the classroom. Such painstaking and thorough preparation is very important for building better presentation skills.
  • Children learn much new information additionally Apart from the direct assignment execution, many students need to research many sources to complete it profoundly. That helps to get additional knowledge and become more intelligent.
  • It teaches important life skills When we say that students do their homework we implement many meanings in this phrase. Pupils learn to manage time effectively , set priorities, and improve self-discipline. That is a good preparation for future career and meeting deadlines set by bosses.
  • Homework is a remedy against weaknesses Something that was not understood by a student at the lesson can be analyzed by him at home again. Homework gives students a chance to improve, acquire new skills and stand out among other learners.
  • It keeps students busy If teenagers would have too much time for leisure activities, the probability that they will interfere with some illegal or criminal issues rises greatly. Being busy with tasks they do not waste their time and spend it with the unmatched benefit.

It is useless to deny the fact that home assignment is very beneficial for school children . Of course, there might be some restrictions concerning the age of students and the number of tasks assigned, but in any case, it is impossible to imagine a modern school without homework. Think only about homeschooling and much higher academic achievements learners have. No wonder that homework remains one of the most effective ways to acquire and improve the existing knowledge and skills.

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15 Reasons Why Homework Should Be Banned

Reasons Why Homework Should Be Banned

Some parents and students think homework should be banned or reduced because it is often a source of stress and frustration.

They argue that students should be able to enjoy their childhood without the extra burden of homework. At the same time, the relationship between parents and their children may be influenced because parents often argue with students to do the homework, while children don’t want to.

Here are some of the common 15 reasons why homework should be banned.

1. Lead to Family Stress

2. decrease time for other activities, 3. why not do homework in school, 4. reduce family bond time, 5. too much pressure, 6. too much and too hard homework can reduce students’ interest in future learning, 7. students cannot get help from teachers in doing homework, 8. learning others is also important besides homework, 9. students need a break from school, 10. the teacher may punish students who cannot finish homework or do badly in it , 11. children come from different environments, 12. homework may be done at a low quality, 13. some students may cope with others’ homework, 14. increase the gap between rich and poor families, 15. homework also adds stress on the teacher.

Homework can lead to family stress, especially in households where parents have limited education or understanding of the subject being taught. Therefore, parents have to spend lots of time together with their children to do the homework together, and they often feel helpless about teaching their children.

For example, parents will say “This homework is too hard for me”, then the child will reply “How can I overcome it as you also cannot do it”, which will cause more arguments. Such stress and frustration can easily lead to family conflicts.

Students may spend 1 to 2 hours doing homework every night, this makes them work like a robot and much time should be spent on other activities. For example, students can have more time to learn a new language or develop their hobbies.

The extra burden of homework also affects the well-being of children in long term. When children feel too much pressure from school and don’t have enough leisure time, they may become emotionally stressed and anxious.

Some parents and students think that homework should be done in school instead of at home. This way, students would have enough time to complete their homework and not feel overwhelmed by the amount of work they need to do at home. 

It could also reduce the number of hours students spend in school since the time used for completing homework can be used for other activities or classes.

When students are required to do homework at home, it can take away from family bond time which is so important for children’s development. Many parents feel as though their children don’t have enough time to spend with the family due to all of the homework they must complete. 

For example, parents want to take their child to see grandparents at weekend, but the child needs to finish the homework, so they have to cancel the plan.

As you may know, almost every subject has its homework every day, and with the increasing pressure of school work in high grades, students may become overwhelmed and anxious. 

Homework creates an unnecessary burden on both students and parents who feel under pressure to ensure the homework is completed on time. 

For example, some students may not be good at doing homework, and they may have difficulty falling asleep due to anxiety and stress from the amount of homework they must complete at night before going to school the next day morning.

Some school assignments are too demanding and difficult for the students, making them don’t have insufficient time to complete the homework. This can have a negative impact on their outlook toward schoolwork and learning in general.

Too much homework may reduce students’ interest in future learning. Some of them may hate studying because they might become discouraged by the difficulty of completing their homework.

In a traditional educational system, teachers are not available in the evenings to help students with their home assignments. 

To ask for a teacher’s assistance during this time, it is necessary for the student to stay after school or contact them via email outside of school hours. However, due to busy schedules and lack of access, many students struggle to get the help they need in completing their homework. 

Without this support, students are unable to understand concepts completely, leading to more problems with future assignments. 

Homework is not the only way for students to learn. It decreases opportunities for students to explore new things.

There are many ways to increase knowledge and understanding, such as participating in activities or discussing with classmates. Taking part in extra-curricular activities can improve a student’s communication and time management skills. 

By engaging in other kinds of learning activities, students can broaden their skill sets and have more rounded education experiences.

Most students have a limited amount of time outside of school and homework eats into this valuable downtime. This can be especially difficult for young children who need more play and leisure time to relax after a long day at school. 

In some schools, students who cannot finish their homework or do badly in it may be punished by the teacher.

This can lead to students feeling discouraged and unmotivated, especially if they are not being given the help and support needed to complete their homework. This can lead to further problems with schoolwork as well as psychological issues such as anxiety and depression.

Some students may live with their grandparents who are unable to assist them with their homework due to a lack of knowledge or advanced age. Similarly, some students come from single-parent households where either the mother or father needs to work two jobs in order to make ends meet. 

In these cases, there’s not enough time available for a parent to help their child with their homework and ensure they are doing it properly. Due to this and other circumstances, these students often fall behind in their studies and suffer the consequences in the form of lower grades or even failing the course.

Some students may already be tired after a long day at school, which can make it difficult for them to focus on and complete their homework properly. This can result in the student not understanding the material or doing it rushly, which will make the homework low quality.

As you can understand, students who stay up late to try to finish the homework will be too tired to learn and focus in class the next day.

Some students who don’t have enough time or knowledge may resort to copying the work of their peers. This ultimately means that they won’t be learning anything and will fail the course in the long run.

Furthermore, when students opt for copying from others instead of doing the task themselves, it could lead them to develop poor learning and study habits. This would not only put them at a disadvantage when they need to do their own assignments but also when they have to take different tests or exams.

Homework can be a costly burden on the households of students in lower-income families. Families who have the money to pay for tutors and other educational resources can give their children an advantage over those who cannot afford these services. 

In addition to students and parents, homework can also be a source of stress for teachers. With the ever-increasing demands placed on them by school administrations, teachers have to make time for marking homework in addition to planning lessons, attending meetings, and teaching classes.

As you can imagine, after receiving students’ homework, a teacher has to grade them, writing feedback and comments. It’s a lot of work and puts an extra burden on the teacher.

If homework can be banned, teachers would have more time to focus on their students’ learning in class which will help make sure that almost no student is left behind due to a lack of understanding material in class.

Students who are able to comprehend the material during school hours can then better apply what they have learned on tests and exams. 

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  1. Top 20 Reasons Why Homework Should Not Be Banned

    15 reasons why homework should not be banned

  2. Homework should not be banned in schools

    15 reasons why homework should not be banned

  3. 15 Reasons Why Homework Should Not Be Banned

    15 reasons why homework should not be banned

  4. 20+ Reasons Why Homework Should Not Be Banned

    15 reasons why homework should not be banned

  5. 15+ Reasons Why Homework Should Be Banned

    15 reasons why homework should not be banned

  6. 15 Major Reasons Why Homework Should Be Banned

    15 reasons why homework should not be banned

COMMENTS

  1. 20 Reasons Why Homework Should not be Banned

    Unequal Access: Some students might not have the resources at home to complete assignments. Creativity Limitation: Excessive homework might limit time for creative activities outside school. Diminished Engagement: Repetitive or excessive homework can lead to disengagement from learning.

  2. 20+ Reasons Why Homework Should Not Be Banned

    Homework has been a source of many heated discussions—and one of the most common questions people ask is whether or not it should be banned. Many believe homework stifles student creativity, while others see homework as an important tool to help students with their studies. The following are valuable insights from professionals on why ...

  3. Homework Pros and Cons

    Homework does not help younger students, and may not help high school students. We've known for a while that homework does not help elementary students. A 2006 study found that "homework had no association with achievement gains" when measured by standardized tests results or grades. [ 7]

  4. 15 Should Homework Be Banned Pros and Cons

    4. It reduces the negative impact of homework on the health of a student. Many students suffer academically when they cannot finish a homework assignment on time. Although assumptions are often made about the time management skills of the individual when this outcome occurs, the reasons why it happens is usually more complex.

  5. 8 Reasons Why Homework Shouldn't be Banned

    5. Self Discipline. 6. Homework gives teachers insight into how students learn best. 7. Homework allows parents to see how their children are doing at school. 8. Homework provides a sense of accomplishment. Students need to practice what they learn.

  6. Should We Get Rid of Homework?

    The authors believe this meritocratic narrative is a myth and that homework — math homework in particular — further entrenches the myth in the minds of teachers and their students.

  7. 12 Reasons Why Homework Should Be Banned

    Homework negatively affects students' health. Download Article. Homework takes a toll physically. Recent studies have demonstrated that too much homework can disrupt a student's sleep cycle, and cause stress headaches, stomach problems, and depression. [3] 3.

  8. Why does homework exist?

    The homework wars are back. By Jacob Sweet Updated Feb 23, 2023, 6:04am EST. As the Covid-19 pandemic began and students logged into their remote classrooms, all work, in effect, became homework ...

  9. Why Homework Should Be Banned From Schools

    American high school students, in fact, do more homework each week than their peers in the average country in the OECD, a 2014 report found. It's time for an uprising. Already, small rebellions ...

  10. Should Homework Be Banned?

    Yes. Generally, the link between homework and achievement scores is stronger for math compared to subjects like English and history. For middle school students especially, math homework can strengthen school performance. There is not a lot of research into the quality of homework. Most experts agree that homework should be reinforcing what kids ...

  11. 25 Reasons Homework Should Be Banned (Busywork Arguments)

    Excessive workload. The issue of excessive workload is a common complaint among students. Spending several hours on homework after a full school day can be mentally and physically draining. This workload can lead to burnout, decreased motivation, and negative attitudes toward school and learning.

  12. Should Homework Really Be Banned? It's Complicated

    All in all, perhaps homework shouldn't be banned completely, but it needs to be considered in a fair and balanced way. Here are some important points to remember that take the individual needs and resources of students into account: Everyone is different: Every person is unique, and each student learns differently.

  13. Why Homework Should Not Be Banned: 10 Compelling Reasons

    9. Encourages a Lifelong Love of Learning: Having homework assignments not only deepens students' understanding of a subject but also ignites a sense of wonder and enthusiasm for learning. By delving into various topics, following their curiosity, and drawing connections between different ideas, students develop a genuine passion for knowledge.

  14. Why Homework Should Be Banned: Revealing Its Negative Effects

    Now, let's shine a spotlight on the crux of the matter - the top 10 reasons why the cry for banned homework is getting louder. Too Much Homework. School Takes Up All Time. Messes with Sleep and Health. No Time for Exercise. Makes Stress and Anxiety Worse. Less Time to Hang Out with Friends.

  15. 20 reasons why homework should not be banned

    4. Homework has been a contentious issue in the education system for decades. While some argue that homework is an essential part of the learning process, others advocate for its banishment ...

  16. 17 Reasons Why Homework Should Be Banned

    Homework Drains Students' Energy. After a full day at school, students are often tired. They spend all day listening to teachers, taking notes, and doing class activities. They need time to rest and do things they enjoy to get their energy back. But when students come home with too much homework:

  17. 10 Reasons Why Homework Should Not Be Banned

    Here are the 10 good reasons why homework should not be banned: They enhance presentation abilities. Many students develop presentation skills as they present their assignments; you can also develop them. For an assignment requiring a presentation, you will gain skills in presenting yourself in front of people. The bold skills developed will ...

  18. Reasons Why Homework Should not Be Banned

    Conclusion. In conclusion, homework should not be banned because it allows the students to have better understanding about their lesson. It also gives opportunity to the students to use the knowledge that they gained, and it practice students in developing good work habits. Homework should not be seen as a burden but as an avenue to instill ...

  19. Why Homework Should Not Be Banned

    Reason 4: Benchmark for Teachers. Another reason why homework should not be banned is the importance of teachers benchmarking the class. If a teacher notices that most of their student's are struggling with the homework, they'll take that as a point about their lesson teaching style. Maybe the teacher didn't spend enough time discussing ...

  20. Why (Most) Homework Should Be Banned

    The study argues that homework should have a purpose and benefit, which should be to cultivate learning. One of the main reasons is that school feels like a full-time job at this point. We, as in BC High students, are in school from 8:25 till 2:40; most of us have some sort of extracurricular activity on top of that, and most of us have ...

  21. 21 Reasons Why Homework Should Be Banned (2024)

    Reasons Why Homework Should Be Banned. 1. It Contributes to Increased Anxiety. If there's one word that describes middle-school and high-school students, it's anxiety. In my homework statistics article, I cite research showing that 74% of students cite homework as a source of stress.

  22. The Reasons Why Homework Should Not Be Banned

    According to the Cooper's review of homework studies, 70% of students show better academic success thanks to homework they were completing. Consequently, we should not underestimate its benefits and now it is time to focus on the reasons why it should not be banned. Home environment can be more productive for some pupils than a classroom one.

  23. 15 Reasons Why Homework Should Be Banned

    13. Some Students May Cope with Others' Homework. 14. Increase the Gap Between Rich and Poor Families. 15. Homework Also Adds Stress on the Teacher. 1. Lead to Family Stress. Homework can lead to family stress, especially in households where parents have limited education or understanding of the subject being taught.