Homework-Good+or+Bad?

For many years, children have had one thing in common. They have come home from a tough day at school and argued with their parents about completing yet another daily bombardment of homework. Most know this scenario all too well. After all, haven’t we all been on the brink of tears, trying to solve an especially difficult math problem or spent endless hours improving our reading comprehension and spelling back in elementary school? Today, there are many parents, activists, and influential people in the field of education questioning the benefits of homework and are urging educators to regulate the amount of assignments issued. But how can homework, something with such a clean image be called into question? In this essay, we will examine the pros and cons of homework and decide once and for all whether or not homework is really all that beneficial for kids and teens.

Homework is infamously known for causing suffering and consuming the precious downtime of countless kids over many years. So what is it that makes such an earnest concept so bad? One of the more popular answers to this question would be that it causes stress, and lots of it. This same stress drives some students to cheat or other unethical methods of staying on top, while others simply can’t effectively deal with it occasionally leading to the development of mental illnesses and even to commit suicide. As you can see, something that causes such harm can’t be solely beneficial. Also, parents and even people in charge of education are complaining and realize that their children’s childhood is being stolen. In the article, __New Recruit in Homework Revolt: The Principal__, by Winnie Hu, filmmaker Vickie Abeles said “…by expecting kids to work a ‘second shift’ in what should be their downtime, the presence of homework is negatively affecting the health of our young people and the quality of family time.” After all, how much time can possibly be left for relaxation and recreational activities after an 8-hour school day, an extracurricular activity or two, dinner, and of course, homework?

However, that isn’t the only negative property of homework. Homework can also be an atrocious waste of time. On occasion, many teachers will assign homework, simply for the sake of assigning homework; after all isn’t that their duty as a teacher? If homework is assigned for a similar reason, there is a large chance that isn’t quality homework, as students aren’t actually learning from them. Often these assignments are lengthy and include no opportunities to apply knowledge from the unit students are studying. In fact, in the article, __I Hate Homework; I Assign it Anyway__, the son of a teacher called such assignments “a stupid waste of my time.” Is it fair for the teachers to assign work that simply wastes a student’s time? Students say no!

Homework is a great concept that can be very helpful to students in many ways. Perhaps the most obvious and prominent of such would be the fact that it can help students review and practice key concepts and lessons, so that they may have an easier time keeping up in class and perform better academically on tests. In the article, __I Hate Homework; I Assign it Anyway__, by Jessica Lahey, a student even admitted, “If I didn’t have homework, I don’t think I’d do very well.” It also teaches responsibility and enables a further development of work ethic, both crucial life lessons that can be learned without being taught. Also note that the homework process can only be successful if time management is incorporated into it. If mastered, it can prove to be a skill that can aid in the completion of almost any task.

Recently, it has shown that the US has been lagging behind the rest of the world, so to remain competitive with students from countries such as China and India, test scores must improve, and if homework that is truly beneficial is assigned, scores will go up. This will also solve another pressing issue. Kids and Teens are relying too heavily on technology to do their “thinking” for them, causing many problems to arise. In the article __New Recruit in Homework Revolt: The Principal__, by Winnie Hu, Karol Ball, a concerned mother of two said “most of our kids can’t spell without spell check or add unless it comes up on a computer”. Assigned homework can improve these essential skills. Homework is the answer!

Some people believe that all homework is a collectivism of problems, ultimately resulting in a massive waste of time and unnecessary stress. Others believe that it is an essential tool to help children grow, mature, and hopefully prosper later in life; it is and always will be, just part of being a kid. I believe that homework is necessary throughout a student’s educational career. Homework is supposed to push individuals, and when it does just that, the payback is priceless. Homework gives students responsibility and improved study skills. It gives students some extra practice outside of school that they would never have sought out for and received on their own, resulting in significant improvement. However I do not condone frivolous crafts and pointless busywork loosely tied to the topic at hand. Assignments such as those are void in the eyes of most students, resulting in little to no educational value to them. This is acceptable to a certain extent, but keeps in mind that after years of practice and dedication, when will you ever need to be able to color in the lines in your adult life as you did during grade school, middle school, and unfortunately, high school. Couldn’t that time have been better spent? Obviously, this is a concept that can’t be abolished completely, because it is an educational staple, and who knows, it may work for some; It just needs to be more limited. I honestly do think that homework should be given, but the amount of homework and test dates should be coordinated accordingly in between teachers, resulting in organization and resolving most stress-related problems.

In this essay, we’ve thought extensively about whether or not homework is worth the effort put into it. In conclusion, I think that homework is necessary. Although it has its shortcomings, we must look past them and see that the benefits outweigh the consequences. However in order for it to be beneficial, or even worth completing, it must be challenging and thought provoking, whilst at the same time, the length of the assignment and the amount of homework given must be controlled and regulated at all times. Only then can we have a near-ideal system of learning, beneficial to all those who endure it.