Skip to main content

Schools Need to Learn to Stop Giving Too Much Homework


I think one of the things I want to write about education right now is the problem of too much homework. It almost didn't matter which school you went to in the Philippines or in some area--there's hardly a policy that discourages the regulation of homework. I'm not saying that homework should be abolished altogether compared to class ranking. I still think that regulated homework is the key. 

The benefits of homework are told by the Global Indian International School from Singapore:

What is the Purpose of Homework? 

Homework is an essential part of every student's education. The purpose of homework for students is to practice what they have learned in class. It also gives students an opportunity to practice time management skills.

Homework can also help build character by teaching children how to cope with frustration and how to manage their stress levels when they encounter difficulties or setbacks.

Homework is a part of the school day, but it's also a huge part of a child's education. It is meant to reinforce what has been taught in class, not to replace class time. 

How Does Homework Help Students Learn? 

Homework can be very beneficial for students because it helps them learn new things more quickly and reinforces what they have already learned in school.

It also gives parents an opportunity to work with their children at home by discussing assignments, providing additional practice, and encouraging their children's efforts.

Students who do homework generally do better in school than those who don't because doing homework helps them understand the material better than if they just listened during class or read a textbook on their own.

I can agree that homework can teach certain values. Sitting down in the classroom all day isn't the end of it all. Though the benefits can only be reaped if the right amount is given to the students. Homework can be beneficial, but it can also be destructive. Too much of a good thing can become toxic. In toxicology, it's the dose that makes the toxin.  Too much homework can be compared to too much of a specific vitamin or mineral. It reminded me of how I once had too much soy protein, and I had joint pain and bloating. I had too much Vitamin C and I hurt my stomach. Too much Vitamin A will be stored in the liver, making it toxic. Too much salt will destroy the kidneys. These things are beneficial, but too much will hurt the human body. Too little of anything beneficial can cause stuff like sodium deficiency. I still believe that no homework is just as bad as too much homework.

What are my key takeaways? I decided to propose the following measures on how to carry out homework effectively:

  1. Teachers should coordinate with each other to avoid excessive homework. Lesson plans will include homework. Some teachers may be piling work after work. It's really a pain when a teacher says, "If you complain about too much homework then you're not a student." However, too much of a good thing can be bad. Complaining about homework is different from complaining about too much homework. It should also mean homework shouldn't be too long and be set on realistic schedules. 
  2. I suggest that no homework should be given after exam periods, weekends, and holidays. It's because there should be time to take a rest or to study at their own pace. Saturdays and Sundays can be devoted to family activities, reading lessons in advance, or practicing any skills required without being graded. Holidays should be a time to spend with the family too. Though this doesn't mean encouraging students to stay home all day playing computer games, surfing the Internet, watching TV, etc. Sure, let them have one to two hours, and that's it. The rest should be devoted to family activities, like learning how to do chores. Also, it's very important to catch up on sleep, too.
  3. Teachers and parents need to coordinate on how to adjust to homework. Homework, as beneficial as they are, should be treated like fertilizer. Put too much fertilizer in your plants, and they can die from an overload. 
I still support homework. However, as said, homework can be damaging to one's health if done in excess. Just remember that anything good in excess becomes junk. It's just like junk food contains too much salt or too much sugar. Both salt and sugar are good, but too much can cause tooth decay, diabetes, and kidney dysfunction. 

References

Websites

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Hussam Middle Eastern Cuisine's New APM Prime Mall Location

It was sad when I went to Ayala Center Cebu to eat at Hussam Middle Eastern Cuisine. They had closed their office at Il Corso. They moved out of Ayala Center Cebu at the end of January . I remember talking to someone who said that the old location can be "very hard to find" when you enter the mall. Right now, I remember how trying to find Hussam in Ayala can be comparable to trying to find the magic lamp in Aladdin's  Cave of Wonders. That's what I felt back then, I ate at Hussam back in 2024 . Ayala Center Cebu probably had a low visibility problem. They had their soft opening on Black Saturday. They missed the Hari Raya Puasa date, a holiday for the Muslim population. This time, the use of glass walls makes it obvious to passersby that it's a Middle Eastern restaurant, that grilling is underway, and that it's certified halal .  The place still maintains the same pristine cleanliness I recall from Ayala Center Cebu. The place's transparent glass windows ...
Read more

Toxic Positivity: Shielding Our ECONOMICALLY OUTDATED Constitution

ABS-CBN News I thought about what life was like in the late 1990s. It was a boomer vs. millennial clash . I remember how often I kept complaining about high school during the K+10 era. Even worse, the real problem why I hated school was that school cared more about grades for the sake of grades , instead of teaching students how to get good grades based on learning first. What may have compounded it is that we've had boomer parents who thought that fatigue is a badge of honor .  What I realized is the common problem of toxic positivity . We have the "good vibes only" or "everything will turn out right in the end". Sadly, life doesn't always turn out that way. You can tell a terminally ill cancer patient that, and the cancer patient would die anyway. No amount of toxic positivity ever fixes the problem. This time, I'd like to rant once more about how toxic positivity has been used to defend the outdated 1987 Constitutio of the Philippines.  The classic r...
Read more

How is IBON Foundation Viewing and/or Representing FDI in Their Articles?

Some time ago, I wrote about why I can't take IBON Foundation seriously . As the battle for economic charter change is on, I believe it's time to tackle them again. They're tweeting here and there. Okay, I'm no researcher or organization. However, it doesn't mean that I can't do some basic research, share the research of others, and read other books. Even an intellectually stupid person can actually make sense if they gather the best materials. I even recall someone I know who's not intelligent but he actually spoke well about career opportunities, in the very school where he wasn't performing well! Trying to understand IBON's data presentation  I would like to address how IBON Foundation presents FDI growth. They would say stuff such as the claim job creation weakened despite FDI growth .  I was looking at IBON Foundation's claim (above) where it says that job creation allegedly weakened despite FDI inflows. Sure, they named sources but do they ...
Read more

A Destructive Obsession with Ayuda (Cash Handouts)

IBON Foundation Yesterday, I decided to write about how Pinoy Pride won't help pay that enormous PHP 13.42 Trillion debt . I thought I'd probably take a bit of a break to do some more research. However, I feel the need to write this post today since one of IBON Foundation's articles says that there's a destructive fetish for foreign investment . Then, another of IBON Foundation's articles says that there's money for Ayuda . I really feel insulted reading these since I'm a Masters Degree graduate in the School of Business and Economics. This really shows the destructive obsession with ayuda (cash handouts) and protectionism. IBON Foundation Above is one of IBON Foundation's charts. Some people on Facebook have gone as far as to call them Birdbrain Foundation. So what if there's money for ayuda or cash handouts? The problem here is that "think tanks" like IBON Foundation want to make it look like ayuda is more important. If asked to account ...
Read more

Why I Don't See IBON Foundation as a Real Economic "Think TanK'

It's one thing to criticize presidents for their performance. It's another without analyzing the data. Sure, we need to study mathematics but the way it's presented can be a reason why it's hated. I felt that high school mathematics focused too much on numbers. Mathematics, in all its aspects, is part of life. Trigonometry is part of life. Calculus is part of life. Statistics is part of life. Speaking of statistics, I was thinking about how IBON Foundation has given its assessment of Duterte's administration. This isn't to say that outgoing President Rodrigo R. Duterte hasn't made mistakes. Rather, this is to point out how IBON Foundation has that tendency to be illogical. IBON Foundation (click to enlarge) This data by IBON Foundation was gathered. I'm not saying that the figures are lies or manipulated. My problem with how IBON Foundation works is their failure to account for the cause and effect  more often than not.  Malaya Business Insight It's ...
Read more