Homework has been an ongoing debate for decades now, and many have complaints over how beneficial it is. The debate has been that some students learn better with homework, but the article of Education Week has provided that kindergarteners can spend up to 30 minutes on homework nightly, and that includes children who only go to school half day. Teenagers spend at least an hour on homework a night, maybe 2 hours.
Teenagers get blamed for technology being the problem of declining grades and losing motivation. In reality, teenagers spend 8:00 AM to 2:45 PM, which is 6-9 hours daily at school, depending on tutoring and other educational clubs. Teenagers feel exhausted with the extracurriculars, school, and sometimes work. The added expense of staying up and focusing on work after the long day results in students not showing their best on their homework.
Students who don’t do great in school may get easily frustrated or overstimulated by homework, making them lack interest in learning inside and outside of the classroom. In academics, it can be viewed as competition for particular students. Which causes additional stress among students.
American College of Education has suggested that teachers should compromise and have homework packets. Packets are given to students on Monday and turned in by Friday, and there is a homework club where students can get help from teachers or possibly other peers.
“I get it if teachers give you time in class to finish work, but if they just give it just to you as homework, then I think it’s just pointless,” Rose Ewald (10) said.
Another factor that is debated over homework is that the environment differs from person to person. Some people can handle distractions better than others, and some people have struggles in their home lives already. So, expecting every kid to complete assignments at home is slightly unrealistic. Homework can also hinder one’s educational growth in this way.
Guardians and teachers can teach a lesson in different ways. This can result in the kids being confused depending on where they are learning. Teachers have a harder time accommodating students when they are taught to solve class work differently. Homework has been considered “busy work” instead of practice. A lot of high school students use artificial intelligence to complete their assignments instead of utilizing their opportunities with extra practice.
“I feel like teachers know that students just use ChatGPT to finish work,” Addyson Masters (12) said.
While some say that homework is bad, there are many pros to homework. For example, it teaches time management skills. Many students practice these skills and will complete homework minutes after it is given; this is not the case for students who are skilled at procrastinating.
Having a due date regularly helps kids grow up into successful adults for future jobs, college, and everyday activities. However, homework has an added effect on students’ mental health that isn’t always shared. The stress with homework is crucial and there is anxiety that follows it.
