Aakshat J.

Homework has been conventionally claimed to improve overall learning for the students. By definition , homework is the part of learning that students must do on their own at home after school hours. Many educators , teachers  and parents globally encourage homework being given to students, as they believe it enhances their learning and overall mental development. However , I do not agree with it at all , as students on an average go to school for  6-7 hours per day , 5 days a week and those hours should be enough to do learning and completing assignments. That is already a whopping 35 hours a week for school based learning. If homework is received then the student has to devote at least 2 extra hours over the 7 hours previously dedicated in school.

Homework reduces the time the student has to go outside, socialize and for entertainment. There are various researches which have shown that students need not be given homework and be allowed free time to enhance their other skills. Famous American psychologist Ross W. Greene says ,“No kid should be getting three or four hours of homework a night. There's no breathing time, there's no family time, there are just extracurriculars and homework and then go to bed” There are various other aspects of overall development besides education and these include interpersonal skills, sports, pursuing hobbies and life-skills. However with 7 hours of school work , another hour or so in commuting and then a couple of hours of homework, means that 10 hours a day are committed to school related activities only , leaving scant time for any other pursuits and activities. 

However some  people may believe that  homework is beneficial because of the  following:

•  Reduces screen time (physical printed homework). 

• Helps students revise the learnings they have had at school.

• Improve retention due to repetition of similar exercises and modules.

• Develop a sense of responsibility in students.

With reasons as above , many educational institutions continue to push for homework to be given to students as they believe this aids in overall learning and development. But I strongly believe that all the four objectives mentioned above can easily be achieved within school time through proper planning and scheduling at school. Students can do revisions , independent assignments and paper based learning all within a stipulated time allocated at school. This will avoid students carrying back work to their homes.

Future of Working states that “One in three American households with children say that the homework assignments that teachers give are the primary source of stress in their home.” Banning homework for students can help them spend more time with their families and strengthen their relationship with each other. Multiple sources state that on average teens should receive at least 10 hours of sleep each night to maximize productivity. If students have homework they would get less sleep and overtime get burned out completely which limits extracurricular activities. Future of Working also says every extra assignment given to a student increases the risk of losing at least 1 hour of sleep. Lack of sleep can create chronic learning issues and may even lead to problems with emotional control, obesity, and attention problems.

Hence we can clearly see that homework is quite detrimental to holistic development of students as it creates stress , impacts their sleep schedule and leaves them with little time to pursue other hobbies and interests. It also negatively impacts their relationships with their family and friends. The so-called benefits of homework can be achieved through allocating self learning time to students within school hours. The educators and parents therefore should actively pursue reforms to ensure that curriculum based learnings happen at school and post school hours are spent in relaxation , recreation and pursuing other interests .

Sources

https://futureofworking.com/6-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-homework-should-be-banned/ 

Stressed student picture from: https://www.lzbearfacts.com/viewpoint/2021/05/27/the-influence-of-homework-on-mental-health/ 

No homework picture from: https://www.change.org/p/department-of-education-strict-implementation-of-the-no-homework-policy 

Quote from - https://www.azquotes.com/author/95458-Ross_W_Greene

https://www.creditdonkey.com/negative-effects-homework.html 

Isabel K.

In school, we learn maths, languages, science etc. We are taught what is fundamental, and what will help us be successful in the world outside. So why are we not being taught how to cook? Cooking should be required to be taught in schools. Cooking is an everyday skill and is the basis of the source that fuels our body. If we want to be victorious when we reach our adult lives, we need to learn how to provide our bodies with ingredients and nutrition so we can be ready for the rest. 

I spent half of my middle school life knowing nothing about food or cooking. I had no clue on how to even crack an egg. It was only until I moved to another school when I was thankfully introduced to a food design class that was required for all students to take. I was so lost on the first day, but little did I know that I would soon be learning so much. When I started, everyone knew all this stuff, and it was just normal for them. That’s when I realized that all this time, I should have been acquiring this skill too. It made me think of all of my other friends in my old school who had no idea how to do any of it. What would they do when they had to eventually leave for college or had to start their own life? Their parents or guardians wouldn't be there to cook the food. How would they be able to take their nutrition and food into their own hands if they didn’t even know the basic knowledge?

According to the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition science and policy, around 28% of the population in America do not know how to cook. Which is overall more than 9 million people. With this knowledge let's go back a couple of steps, why do we even need to know how to cook? Well first of all to get rid of the obvious, when you can cook this means you have the skills to take care of yourself in terms of food and making sure you get the right nutrition. Cooking teaches you about different foods, and how you can feed your body properly. When you don’t know how to cook, you’re at a disadvantage in making sure your body is getting the nutrients and care it deserves. So when so many people are at this disadvantage it shows us that it means we need to do better in teaching them how. This means incorporating it in schools. Reaching out to kids and teenagers so we don’t have more people left hanging, and unsure of what to do when they finally are an adult and have their own kitchen.

You may argue that you can always order food instead of cooking, although in reality that can just be more pressure on your finances. It is just not ideal if you are a student, or have a huge family to feed. Not everyone has the means to buy a pre-made meal every day, so by teaching it in schools we give them a secure chance to avoid that problem.

We learn a lot in school, and we usually go far with what we learn. However, it is true that we still miss a lot in education by ignoring the seemingly “smaller skills” to learn. As teachers and educators, it should be a job to make sure your students get the most knowledge they can when in their time at school. So let’s be willing to branch out with cooking so that we can do our job in setting up the future generations for success, not failure. 

Staff, Editorial. “28% of Americans Cant Cook.” Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, 15 Nov. 2013, www.nutritionletter.tufts.edu/general-nutrition/28-of-americans-cant-cook/#:~:text=Among%20the%20most%20startling%20findings. Accessed 9 Dec. 2021