The standard sight of a student leaving the building with a bulging backpack of books and assignments may become a mere memory if more schools join in with the no-homework policy that some have adopted. Although it is still a hotly contested policy in some places, there is a growing number of schools where administrators think assigning work for work’s sake is the wrong way to educate children. There is a chance that the change will lead to a redefinition of homework instead of its complete removal, but for the time being, there are schools positioned staunchly on both sides of the argument.
The Argument Against Homework
The balance of home and school life is very important to students, teachers and parents. While many expect students to be working on homework during their evening hours, there are several arguments against doing so. According to Alfie Kohn for Scholastic, these include the fact that there is no evidence to show that homework benefits elementary students. In high schools, some studies find a relationship between homework and test scores, but the deviation is small. Proponents of no-homework policies argue that students are overworked and that homework is not an effective form of learning. Students are missing out on time for play and other activities.
What Should Be the New Norm?
While a blanket policy banning homework sounds extreme, homework assignments for every night does as well. In an article published by neaToday, Edward Graham argues that this type of conversation should lead to a re-evaluation of homework’s purpose. For example, the new normal may be no homework, but if a teacher had a compelling reason to assign work despite the policy, he or she could do so. This would give students much more time for activities outside of school and create more meaningful assignments instead of just busy work. These conversations are taking place at all levels of education, from professional educators to students working toward an online master’s degree in education.
Many of us remember spending a large amount of time working on homework outside of school. Some teachers and parents witness their own children bringing large stacks of worksheets to complete in an evening. These may become memories instead of realities if teachers begin to embrace the idea that homework should be sparse, meaningful and useful.
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Sources:
neaToday: Should Schools Be Done With Homework?
Scholastic: Down With Homework!
