Homework is not necessary

Despite spending hours at school, students are still expected to spend even more time after school doing homework. The issue is not students wanting to slack off but is the fact that many teachers refuse to help students fully understand the concept within class time.  

Large amounts of homework stress students out. Even though school should not necessarily feel like a breeze, it definitely should not put as much pressure as it does on a student. Most students’ bodies are still growing and stress can lead to many issues, such as stunting growth, heart problems, and diabetes. Not only is it physically affecting students, but it is also mentally harsh; about 1-in-5 high school students struggle with stress-induced depression. 

Having more homework means that students are more likely to cheat to get answers. The purpose of assigning homework is so that students can practice and understand the concept better, but that is not achieved if students are just cheating. This is not the student’s fault because sometimes, there is no time for them to complete it in time and students are not understanding enough to allow extensions. Since it’s a common occurrence, teachers should make homework optional so that students can get more practice, but also not have the pressure of getting bad grades. 

Students are given an average of six hours of homework a day. Some may argue that six hours of homework a night is not hard to complete, but most students don’t have that much time after school. Although school should be a commitment, it should not take up their entire day. It is not sustainable. A lot of students have extracurricular activities after school. For example, athletes have at least two hours of practice, working students have at least a four-hour shift, and some students have to care for their grandparents or other family members. On average, student-athletes get home around 7 p.m. and by the time they shower and eat dinner, it is around 8:30 p.m. If they were to work non-stop for five hours straight, they would finish at 1:30 AM. Sometimes, on days when students have games or longer shifts at work, they cannot sleep until 3:00 a.m. It does not make sense for students to sleep that late because of work that could have been done in class if teachers were to use class time efficiently. 

Teachers should stop assigning absurd amounts of work to students and start being more open to offering extensions when needed. That way, students can enjoy their time in school and also be able to live their fun life as a teenager.