EDITORIAL - No more homework?

The teaching community itself is divided. Some are opposing the idea: banning homework altogether is bad for learning, they say. There is just too much work to do and the time allotted in a regular class hour is not enough, so students must complete the lesson at home. Homework also helps in lesson retention.

The other side of the argument is that children need time to relax, and to enjoy quality time with their family. All schoolwork must be done in school, according to this argument, which is supported by certain officials of the Department of Education.

A compromise may have to be worked out. Filipinos have been doing homework since formal education was introduced in this country. So far, there has been no indication that Filipino students have suffered from severe school stress – the kind that has driven some of their counterparts in recent years in highly competitive education environments such as those in Japan and South Korea to commit suicide.

It’s true that there are parents who help with their children’s homework. But parents in such instances typically explain what they are doing to their children, to promote learning. Such sessions can help fill gaps in explanations in the classroom. Doesn’t this enhance family bonding? 

Give today’s school children more time to themselves, and what might they do? Even when they are with their families, their heads are buried in smartphones, computers and game consoles, watching videos, chatting with friends or exploring anything and everything in cyberspace, including subjects that parents would prefer to be taboo to young minds. Homework can pry children away from gadgets for a certain period after school hours.

There are undoubtedly also “terror” teachers and slave drivers who can overburden students with homework. What education authorities can do is temper or rationalize the assignment of homework, perhaps declaring “homework-free” days to give students more time for other activities. As opponents of the homework ban have pointed out, homework has its uses, and totally prohibiting it needs careful consideration.