Is Homework a Waste of Time?
When bombarded with assignments, many students get to a point where they wonder, is homework a waste of time? Well, many learners are burdened with academic tasks that they are required to complete at home. But, some learners feel that this is the time they should be bonding with family members, relaxing, or having fun.
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Some learners feel that they have already done enough at school. As such, homework is a waste of time for them. Instead of doing homework, they should be engaging in extracurricular activities or doing more important things like watching the latest documentary.
But, some educators think otherwise. To them, homework inculcates valuable skills like time management and staying organized in learners. It also provides a chance to review and recall what students learned in the classroom. Thus, they don’t see how homework is useless.
How is Homework a Waste of Time?
Time is important for everyone, including learners. Everybody needs time to do the things they love. The school takes up a lot of time for learners. As such, many learners need time that does not require them to concentrate on learning. A major homework debate has always been that this assignment extends learning outside the classroom.
But, education does not take place in classrooms only. Students can learn by engaging in different outdoor activities. What’s more, education is not the only important activity in the lives of students. Physical activity, having fun with friends, and enjoying quality time with family is also important. And, these activities teach learners important life skills. But, how is homework a waste of time?
Well, homework takes the time that learners should be engaging in these activities. Some participants in the homework debate argue that students can use the internet to learn at home. Even some computer games can help with the learning process. But, homework classes with most of these activities.
When it comes to homework debate pros and cons, most people argue that assigning academic tasks to be completed by learners at homes can strain family relationships. That’s because students spend a significant amount of time at home doing assignments. Thus, they are excluded from family activities they would like to be part of. This can cause stress for students and even other family members.
Why Do Teachers Give Homework?
It’s normal for a student to ask, why do I have to do my homework? That’s because they may not see the value of homework. But, teachers have their reasons for assigning academic tasks to be completed at home.
Although the banning homework debate continues, some educators are of the view that it is beneficial to learners. So, why is it good to do homework?
Here are some of the reasons why teachers continue to assign homework to students:
- Homework enables teachers and students to work closely together by discussing assignments and problems that learners have with different concepts and theories.
- Homework brings family members together as parents and siblings help a student complete the assigned academic tasks at home.
- Homework prepares students for major tests by highlighting their areas of weaknesses.
- Homework makes learners more responsible because there are consequences of failing to complete the assigned academic tasks.
- Homework enables parents to know how their children are progressing academically and raise possible concerns with teachers where necessary.
So, does homework prevent family time? Well, one of the pros of homework is that it brings family members together as siblings, and parents try to help the student complete the assigned tasks.
Why Homework is a Waste of Time
People that advocate for the ban homework debate have their reasons to hold this opinion. These believe that homework doesn’t add value to the learning process of a student. For instance, what is the average time spent on homework by grade? Couldn’t this time be spent on strengthening family bonds among family members since students have been learning in classrooms throughout the day?
Here are some of the reasons used to support the why should homework be banned debate:
- Not an indicator of intelligence- Research has shown that highly intellectual individuals procrastinate more. As such, they are likely to procrastinate and even fail to complete homework. But, this should not be used to gauge their intelligence level. They mostly procrastinate because home time should be spent relaxing and cooling off, not extending schoolwork.
- Homework doesn’t make sense- The human brain needs time to cool off. After being in class the whole day, home time is not the best time to do homework. This should be the time to relax and rest in readiness for another learning day at school.
- Homework makes learners lose motivation- When something is done for too long, it gets boring. This is what happens when students spend too much time studying and completing assignments. Giving students too much homework can make learning boring. Therefore, teachers should assign tasks that students can complete within minimal homework time to allow them a chance to relax and have some fun.
When you think about how much time should be spent on homework each night, you realize that many learners are bombarded with tasks that are beyond their capabilities. It’s therefore, not surprising that a student can easily ask, ‘why can’t I do my homework?’ yet their home environment is conducive. But, their major challenge is that they have many, complex tasks to complete within a limited time.
It’s no secret that is homework a waste of time debate continues. Homework has its pros and cons. However, some learners are bombarded with many academic tasks to complete within tight schedules. This causes them stress that can be detrimental to their health, academic performance, and attitudes about learning. We advise you to get qualified homework help in order to concentrate on the most important things.
