A Research on the Negative Effects of Homework on Children
A very good afternoon to Ms Michelle and my fellow classmates. Today I would like to talk about argument for homework should be banned. Many researchers have found out that homework is a waste of time. They found that homework doesn’t necessarily help children to get more grades. In 2012, French president Francoise Hollande proposed eliminating homework for all primary and middle schoolers in France, and a German high school began a two-year ban on homework for its students. In an online poll titled Should Schools Ban Homework, 85% of all respondents say yes.
Firstly, children need time to relax and take their minds off work. They sit in the class for a whole day. After they get home, they have to sit for some more hours to finish their homework. By the time they are done, it is time to get ready for bed. They probably have no time to do other activities such as go for a piano lesson, play some sports and so on. The stress of having to complete their homework every night is quite daunting and they need time to refresh their bodies and minds.
Ian Toone, of Voice The Union, said that “homework for primary school should not be necessary. Primary school children spend enough time in school as it is. If they are given more work in the evening, it is going to tire them out and they won’t be able to do other things. They should have time to relax”. Many researchers and CEOs of companies like Google have found that taking breaks and relaxing actually promotes productivity and innovation. A 2012 article in the New Statesman asserts that excessive hard work is counterproductive.
Secondly, homework reduces the time that children could be spending with their families. They are busy doing their homework or assignments even during the weekends. This will lead to social problems and a family unit can be compromised by a lack of time being spent together. Family time is especially important to a growing child. Children may unable to have time to talk to their families because of too much homework given by the teacher. As a result, parents would not know what problem the child meets.
Homework forces families to follow the state’s educational agenda. Most parents are willing to turn their kids over to the state for the seven to nine hours of the school day for educational enrichment. But then they want to build a rich family life with their kids, and homework can interfere with that. For example, if parents want their children to be actively engaged with grandparents or church activities in the evening, those things would compete with homework time.
