Let's Talk Homework.

Most kids hate homework and that's a fact. I mean, I never liked homework back then. I'm definitely one of those kids in class praying that the teacher doesn't say "let me give you something to do when you get home." I dread those words because it can make my anxiety go from 0–100 in 5 seconds. I'm looking at a long list of chores I need to finish up and you're still adding homework? Tough maths for that matter?

The question of whether or not it is right for kids to come back home with after-school exercises is quite controversial. For people like my Grandma, it's simple: “Let their brains rest!” One time, five of my little cousins came to stay with us for a long time after their parents travelled. They joined a school, and day after day, they came home battling tough homeworks across almost every subject. 10pm...11pm... these kids haven't slept yet, and they're still expected to be in school by 6:45am the next morning. My Grandma had to go and report to the school and ask their teachers to cut down on the volume of homeworks these kids were coming back with. She wanted them to have time to do other things around the home, and the adults too could rest, because most of them had no clue what to do when it came to homework.

Imagine a parent working all day, coming back to take care of 3–4 kids, and they all need assistance with tough homeworks? I'm talking about opening a maths homework and you're seeing the teacher's note: “Do pages 5–10.” It can be exhausting.

To be able to have a good judgment on this matter, let's take a look at the good side of homework. Every concept came to be for a reason. I'm sure the person who came up with the idea of homework had a foresight that it would be a good idea.

And to be honest, it is actually a good idea. First off, kids are more likely to do well in class if they do homework compared to those who come back with nothing. They won’t forget easily what they’re taught in class, and it’s easier to grasp what the teacher is saying if they’ve done a little something on it at home. It gives them a chance to practice and probably learn a few things by themselves, and that's how they get smarter.

To some extent, it gives them a sense of responsibility. When the other kids call my little cousins for playtime, you'll hear them say most times, “I still have homeworks to do,” and it's quite beautiful because they understand that some things are more important than others. In some way, it also prepares them for reality. It's also a way teachers know which kid needs extra attention because as they go through all those answers, they can already see who is getting it right and who is not.

So personally, I think the question should be more of: how much homework should kids or students be given? Balance is everything. I know some of my classmates back then who had little financial support with school and had to do paying jobs or even hawk some goods to support themselves. For those ones, it'll be tougher managing heavy homeworks and life after school.

And for kids, we all know that “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Kids need to engage with other aspects of life than just doing homework all the time. Personally, I don't support erasing the idea of homeworks. Teachers should rather seek a balanced approach to the matter, not so much homework that the kids are overwhelmed and bored out of their minds, and definitely not taking out homework altogether. It's a necessary part of school so I don't think leaving it out would make a lot of sense.

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