The Homework Debate

The Homework Debate (WIP)

The homework debate has been going on for decades. Should schools assign homework? The answer is no. After spending most of the day in school, most children definitely do not want to do more work at home. Homework should be banned because homework causes a lack of time for other activities, children’s frustration and exhaustion, and there is no evidence of any academic evidence from assigning homework.

To begin with, homework causes a lack of time for other activities. Children spent a large amount of their time doing homework. That leaves barely enough time to spend on extracurricular activities, such as sports, music, art, and much more. Teachers are always encouraging students to sign up for sports, band, play, etc., but how can they when they have to spend all their time doing homework and studying. Furthermore, teachers are always telling children to get out and play and they need at least an hour an exercise every day, but how can children go outside and play when they need to finish their homework inside? In addition, homework limits the time a child can spend with his friends and family. Homework just takes time away from extracurricular activities, exercise, and time with friend and family.

Moreover, homework frustrates and exhausts children. When a child does not understand homework, they may spend hours on it. This frustrates children and makes them feel they are dumb. Also, this exhausts children. Students may spend time doing their homework late at night when they are supposed to be sleeping. This leads to exhaustion the next day, which leads to students being grumpy and not paying attention in class. All this frustration and exhaustion may make children lose interest in learning.

Lastly, there is absolutely no evidence of any academic benefit from assigning homework in elementary or middle school. In high school, the academic benefits are very little. The National School Board Association’s Center for Public Educations states that there is no conclusive evidence that homework “increases student achievement across the board.” If homework does not help students, then why assign it. Adults yell at children for wasting time, but homework is a waste of time as well.

On the other hand, homework can be beneficial. “The assignment of homework, over time, serves to foster the kind of qualities that are critical to learning – persistence, diligence, and the ability to delay gratification,” (Bempechat 1). Furthermore, if there is no homework students will not be able to finish their schoolwork. Students only get a little time in school to write essays, read books, research, practice math, etc. When else can students do this? The answer is homework. Without homework, students will only do the work that can be fit into the school day.

However, homework should still be banned or at least reduced. Children can learn all the qualities they get from homework at school and students should do work outside of school because they want to, not because a teacher assigns it. As you can see, homework takes time away from other activities, frustrates and exhausts children, and has very little or no academic benefit at all. As educational researcher, Etta Kralovec says, “Homework simply doesn’t make sense in this brave new constructive world of teaching and learning,” (Kralovec 1).


It's not good, but it's my first rough draft and I wrote it pretty quickly.