PRO
Homework has long been a part of education and a tool for students to improve their knowledge, but longevity does not mean that it is effective. Students spend between 6-8 hours at school each day and are still expected to continue working after school. This often creates stress, limits personal time, and reduces motivation. Add to this the fact that students may even use AI to get their homework done faster so they could get it out of the way to have more time for sleep, or other activities, and you can see why it is time for homework to go.
One major issue with homework is the stress it puts on students after school. After a full day of classes, students often feel exhausted, yet they still have assignments to complete. Many students already aren’t getting enough sleep, according to The Douglas Research Centre’s report “Sleep and children: the impact of lack of sleep on daily life.” According to the report, homework has a number of negative impacts on
student sleep schedules. The report states, “Homework may affect a child’s sleep in three ways. First, the time it takes to finish an assignment may infringe on the time that should be used for sleeping. Second, work done too close to bedtime may leave a child too stimulated to fall asleep easily. Finally, if homework is done on or near a child’s bed, the child may associate that area with working or stress and not be able to
fall asleep easily there.” Therefore, it is just another example of how homework can affect children.
The same report also notes that “just as nutrition and exercise must be included in healthy lifestyle choices, sleep habits must also be considered in this balance. Students need time to relax, spend time with people around them, and keep up with activities like sports, hobbies, or a part-time job. All these experiences help build social skills, independence, and creativity.” With homework taking up much of students time after school, it limits these opportunities and creates an unhealthy balance between schoolwork and personal life. If this lack of free time is accompanied by parental pressure about grades, students can find themselves facing stress levels that are bad for them.
Some people might argue that homework reinforces learning and responsibility. While this is true in small amounts, too much homework does not guarantee better academic outcomes or develop higher levels of responsibility. When students are overwhelmed with multiple assignments, they may resort to copying another student’s work or rely on AI instead of actually learning the material. This only adds to the
issue as students in cases such as this must navigate the stress of cheating in addition to all of the other things that they face. Ultimately, homework that is assigned poorly or just for the sake of it is not effective and can do more harm than good.
by: Eva Silva
CON
Getting rid of homework might sound like a dream every student wants, but it would actually negatively impact students more than help them. Homework is an important part of learning because it helps students understand lessons better and it teaches them essential skills that will be very useful in the future.
First, homework helps students actually learn and remember what they are taught in class. During school, teachers don’t always have enough time to fully cover every topic in class. Homework gives students the opportunity to really understand what they are learning. A Duke University study led by Professor Harris Cooper found that “Students who complete homework regularly tend to achieve higher academic performances, especially in middle and high school.” Practicing subjects like math or English at home helps improve student understanding of course content.
Another reason homework is important is because it teaches students responsibility, even if we hate to admit it. Not doing homework really only impacts you. If you don’t do the homework, that’s on you. Students have to learn to juggle sports, work, fun, and other aspects of their lives, but doing so helps them learn to manage their time better. In a Stanford News Service report summarizing research on student workload, Clifton B. Parker states, “The results offer empirical evidence that many students struggle to find balance between homework, extracurricular activities and social time, the researchers said. Researchers found out that the high school students who participated in the study felt forced or obligated to choose homework over developing other talents or skills”. As stressful as it might sound, Homework gives an understanding where balance is a key skill that can unlock doors far beyond the barrier.
Some may argue that homework causes too much stress on students and takes away from free time. While this can be true, it doesn’t look closely enough at the topic. Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and co-author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Education claims, “Students in high-achieving communities who spend too much time on homework experience more stress, physical health problems, a lack of balance, and even alienation from society. While this is important to take into consideration it does not mean homework should no longer be assigned or required, it means it should be limited. The problem is not homework itself, but how much is assigned, so schools should work to assign reasonable amounts of homework that can help students without overwhelming them.
Another argument for homework is that it can help parents stay involved in their children’s education. When students work at home, parents can see what they are learning and offer support. That type of support system at home and school can improve students’ success.
If schools remove homework it won’t improve student learning. Homework helps students learn better and improve their education while also teaching them essential skills for their future. While too much homework can be annoying and stressful sometimes, the solution to that problem is to improve it rather than get rid of it as a whole.
by: Jannah Oseguera-Arasmou
