For generations, homework has been part of the schooling experience. As some lessons are learned from the school environment, others are better learned at home. The thumb rule for the maximum amount of time needed to spend on homework is 10 minutes per grade level. For a first grader this should be 10 minutes and for senior high school should be two hours. For some, this might be too much extra time and there are calls to reduce the amount of time spent on homework to 30 minutes per day, some advocating for it to be banned.
Advantages of Why Homework Should Be Banned
Banning homework would give students more family time
A third of American households with children cite homework assignments as a source of stress. This minimizes the time they spend together as a family as they have to schedule their time around their free time. Less time is spent with parents which would be a better learning process at home.
Student health is adversely impacted by too much homework
There are negative academic implications when teachers and academic administrators judge kids based on their ability to complete their homework. When a child has a robust work ethic but can’t complete their homework on time, this may lead to the abandonment of their academic goals. This can cause mental health issues. This can influence their self-esteem and result in disrupted learning.
It would encourage dynamic learning opportunities
Some students find some homework projects engaging such as science fair projects or hands-on assignments. Most homework by teachers is repetitions. Instead of learning the ‘why’ behind the information, their ultimate goal is memorization. This becomes impossible to retain information homework provides.
Disadvantages of Why Homework Should Be Banned
Homework provides opportunities for students to use deeper research
In the United States, the average classroom goes for an hour of instruction daily. When assignments are taken at home, it creates an opportunity to employ home-based tools to learn more about class material. Taking a deeper look at specific subjects independently can lead to new thoughts and ideas that may be hard to grasp in class, therefore, improving understanding.
The homework process requires time management and persistence to be successful
Time management is a crucial skill in any educational process for every child. Being able to complete homework on time can translate into an eventual career. Homework can help students in vital skills such as solving a complex problem, understanding current events, or tap into what they are passionate about in life.
It creates opportunities to practice time management
Students involved heavily in co-curricular activities find a hard time doing homework. Time management for such students becomes very challenging. This affects their productivity in multiple ways. Creating a calendar helps manage while pursuing academic objectives.
The verdict of the Advantages and Disadvantages of Banning Homework
While some students thrive at homework, some struggle to complete because of the environment. How can the extremes of every child be balanced to provide an opportunity to succeed?