Homework has been a controversial issue right from inception. The majority of students hate the idea of creating time for homework after staying eight hours in the classroom earlier on in the day. We are not going to take a definite stand on this subject matter but will give an analysis and leave our readers to take their stand either for or against it.
We are all aware of the rising cases of stress among the people. It is even worse when students have to combine their studies with work. For those categories of students; coping with homework becomes an uphill task for them.
In the majority of cases, when students are asked during survey upon survey about how they felt when doing their homework; about two-thirds return a verdict that homework causes stress. Some of them go on to say that they have to rely on drugs to cope with the ripple effects of going two hours of homework every night after 8 hours of normal classes earlier on in the day.
But come to think of it; are there distractions that cause impediments to completing homework? What about the time spent watching television? The time spent browsing on the net? What about the minutes that are used to chat and make calls to friends? There are indeed distractions in the polity that will not allow full concentration on homework.
Another angle is the training of the tutors. How many of them follow the due process in giving out homework? The original idea is to allow the teachers to understand the depth of each student on the topic taught during the day. The homework should be within the context of what the teachers taught in the classroom.
Now; how many teachers understand and base their homework on this standard? Then, how much is too much for the student on a single night? The lack of understanding of the concept by some of the teachers is not helping matters. These factors and several others are responsible for the outcry against homework by the majority of the students and some parents as well.
How many teachers are aware of the fact those 25 minutes of homework is the elastic limit for starters? When this is breached, how many parents take it upon themselves to go discuss issues with the teachers of their wards in their schools? Do teachers know that the elastic limit for any homework should not be more than 2hrs?
What about the place of discipline in students? Are they paying serious attention to their studies after school hours? How do they cope with the distractions around them? Do they create time to go over the lessons learned in school the previous day?
The above are questions that are begging for answers. If we are objective enough to give a clear-cut answer; then it will be possible to clear the issue of whether or not homework is a burden to students.
Final thoughts
We leave the final judgment to the topic question above to individual readers. Cheers.