Homework comes in a large variety. There’s the homework that everyone absolutely fears, like Math homework, and Literature homework. And there’s those occasional fun, projects like making a diorama. But could these little assignments actually be hurting us, rather than helping us? Is homework making our knowledge worse?
Back in 2007, the University of Michigan performed a study on homework. They concluded that students spend more than two hours on homework every week as opposed to 44 minutes in 1981. Granted this test was based off of students ages six to nine, what does that mean for us older kids?
One of the nation’s biggest home work scholars, Harris Cooper, concluded that homework doesn't, in any way, improve any success in academic activities for students in grade school. Mr.Cooper also concluded that kids assigned homework in middle school and high school score fairly better on standardized tests. But kids who complete 60-90 minutes of homework in middle school and over 2 hours in high school tend to score lower.
And recently a Canadian couple went to court and complained that homework didn’t benefit their child one bit. And guess what? They won the trial and their children were exempted from all homework.
I can’t exactly say where I stand on the topic of homework. In all fairness, depending on the type of homework, I actually enjoy it-writing homework that is. Homework, overall, just seems to add more unneeded stress into a child, and parents, life. And yes, I said parents. My mother often complains that “Projects and homework isn’t assigned for students, but for the parents. Teachers should start assigning work that students can actually do.” And this is the truth. It all just seems like a teacher is assigning homework that a student can’t complete. My sister, in fact, goes to school with math homework that isn’t complete all the time cause nor her, or my mother, can figure it out. Same for projects; shouldn’t a project be assigned for students to do without the help of their parents?
I have some friends that are really involved with after school activities. I have one friend that dances every day of the week except Friday. Another that has basketball practice every other day. So could it be not the homework that’s hurting us, but actually the activities we participate in and how often we do them hurt us?
Many of these questions linger in our universe, and will for many generations. So unless you and your parents win a trial and get you exempted from all homework, you’re stuck doing homework.