Should teachers give nightly homework?
November 21, 2021
On average, high school teachers assign 3.5 hours of homework to students each week. This means that students who have 5 classes can have up to 17.5 hours a week of homework. Homework can help students keep learning after school ends, however many people argue that too much homework can have a negative effect on students.
A poll of high school students from California showed that 59% of those surveyed thought they had too much homework and 82% said that they were “often or always stressed by schoolwork.” The average amount of sleep that teenagers get is around 7 hours. However, it is recommended for them to get 9 hours of sleep. Because high school start times are early, teenagers must go to sleep earlier to get more sleep. Excess amounts of homework lead to students staying up late. Sleep deprivation can affect mood, behavior, and academic performance. This means that the academic boost that homework gives can quickly be reversed with too much homework.
Homework also disadvantages students that live in low-income families, which is approximately 41% of children in the US. These students are more likely to have to work and look over siblings after school and on weekends. They also are less likely to have resources such as internet access, a quiet workspace and a computer. Private tutoring also gives students with more money an advantage over those who cannot afford it.
Nightly homework can help students’ grades, but excessive amounts can negatively affect them. Too much homework can cause problems for teenagers and this is overlooked frequently due to the help it gives some students. High school students already have long days at school and many have after-school activities such as sports, clubs, jobs and more. Forcing students to do hours of homework every day is unrealistic for many, and creates more problems than it solves.
Sources:
https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/specialties/sleep-disorder-center/sleep-in-adolescents
https://www.procon.org/headlines/is-homework-beneficial-top-3-pros-and-cons/
