Should homework be banned?

The amount of time spent on homework has grown. Since 1990 the time spent on homework has doubled. But according to this research, there have been probes into how efficient homework is though it works for the lower grades. The question is why so much time is spent on homework by students, and the impact is moderate on older kids and has zero effect on younger kids. The question becomes, should homework be banned? There is a question that students, parents, teachers, and lawmakers keep asking.

Proposal for bans and implementation in the USA and abroad

It is not a new concept to try and understand whether homework should be assigned or not to students. Elementary schools banned homework in Florida in 2017. It was a motion by a Florida Superintendent for the entire district. The only exception to this was students could read at home. But this is not only happening in the US. In the Philippines, they passed a bill to ban homework completely. The law stated that students needed relaxation and enough time to spend time with their families. The bill also proposes that schools should not give homework during the weekend. Teachers run the risk of jail time of up to two years if they do not adhere to it. The measures look extreme, but they have reasons for why they should reconsider the idea of homework.

The mental health and education of the child

The ban on homework prioritizes the issue of mental health. The leaders believe that students will develop relationships, hobbies and get some balance in their lives when they don’t have to worry about homework.

In Utah, USA, two elementary schools banned homework and gained recognition nationally. Results have proven significant; anxiety has decreased 50 percent from the psychologist referrals. A lot of schools are looking for new ways to refocus on their wellness. Homework can be a cause of stress and anxiety.

Elementary Schools’ homework ban has the support of research.

John Hattie is famous for homework ban supporters. They cite his research on how homework to elementary school students doesn’t affect their academic progress. According to John Hattie, “primary school homework has zero effect. But in high school, the impact is a bit larger. It is where it needs to get it right. There is no reason to get done with it. But we should be looking at it and considering if it is making a difference”.

For the upper grades, homework needs not to be busy work but purposeful. The problem is that most of the teachers do have adequate training. They need to have the proper training to assign relevant and meaningful homework to the students.

Parents have also pushed back.

The parents introduced an idea in an article on the Washington Post that teachers should not grade students if they completed or did not complete their assignments if they have homework. The article writer talks about how they don’t believe and participate in homework. These other parents started citing the research that homework doesn’t help students academically, and they started having their children not doing homework.

Conclusion

Homework is generally a good idea. To some extent, it puts the responsibility for the education of the child. Homework also reinforces what the students have learned and instills study habits that will benefit the future.

If students want to be college-ready, homework is a skill that they need.