Is homework actually useful, or just a waste of time?
By Gwen Lui
Homework, homework, homework. It’s all we students do twenty-four seven, aside from our six gruelling hours of school. As students, we are raised to believe that homework is simply a necessary evil for a chance at academic success, at the expense of our mental and physical health. However, this begs the question, is homework actually useful, or just a waste of time?
Homework has a negative effect on both the mental and physical health of the students. According to a study conducted in California, surveying over 4,300 students, 70% stated that they were “often or always” stressed over school work, and 80% of students mentioned experiencing at least one of the following symptoms: sleep deprivation, stomach aches and depression. Consequently, Cibdol – a company focused on natural wellness products, states that sleep deprivation leads to poorer concentration and issues with retaining information, defeating the exact purpose of homework. This shows that there is a clear issue with homework, and yet a study from Stanford University shows that 56% of students lose sleep over schoolwork.
Moreover, Hazel Wong, a Year 11 student, states, “There have been some instances where I have had to stay up till 1:00 to 2:00 AM, and once I’ve even stayed up till 3:00 AM just to complete work,” despite her usual bedtime being 10:30 PM. She mentions that this issue leaves her feeling “tired” and “mentally drained” for the next school day. If the negative impact is obvious, why do schools continue with this practice?
Homework is not useful for students who don’t understand the lesson material. I ask you this, if they can’t understand it at school, how can they understand it at home? When a student is confused by the homework assigned, this encourages cheating with methods such as AI. While this may work for a short-term solution, it will not help in the long run.
On the first day of class, Mrs. Sanker, our beloved maths teacher, asked us, “Have you guys heard of Photomath?” Photomath is an AI website that allows students to take a photo of whatever maths problem they might be struggling with and receive an immediate solution. While I understand that Photomath gives immediate feedback and is far more convenient, it strips students of the chance for in-depth learning, which leads to them failing because they never took the time to fully understand the material. If such an esteemed teacher is already aware of this issue and has taken action by reducing the workload, why are others still doing it?
In the case that students don’t use AI for assistance, these students end up submitting wrong or incomplete assignments, where teachers assume more homework is necessary to improve, leading to an endless cycle of homework here, homework there, homework everywhere!
On the other hand, homework also isn’t useful for students who do understand the material, as it is simply a waste of time. According to the University of San Diego, studies show that high-performing students end up doing worse on exams when given more homework due to burnout. Furthermore, getting a low grade is like the end of the world for academically strong students, which leads to worsened mental and physical health along with the negative impact of homework itself. So, who is at fault, the student or the homework?
“Worldwide, homework is not associated with high national levels of academic achievement”, says Gerald K LeTendre, a professor in education policies, and his words are not just a mere opinion. According to the Better Sleep Council, American teenagers spend over 15 hours on homework, with 34% spending over 20 hours per week. However, according to Education in Finland, Finnish students spend a maximum of three hours per week on homework, yet it is one of the top education systems in the world. For comparison, the Finland highschool graduation rate is 93%, while the U.S. rate is at 75%. Furthermore, two in three students in Finland go on to college, which is the highest rate in Europe. With these statistics, it shows that homework may not necessarily be the reason for academic success.
Many students can relate to the experience of doing homework alongside their parents, feeling overwhelmed with frustration because they couldn’t solve that one question. Because of homework, parents have to take on a teacher role, which creates tension in families since students associate homework – a primary stressor, with their parents. With the worsened mental health of students, it also encourages a negative mindset, leading to a hostile attitude which can end up damaging family relationships. These relationships are precious, and it is stripped away from students for the mere reason of finishing that 56 page worksheet on Google Classroom.
As a student, I am fully aware that homework is repetitive. I understand that repetition does help with memorisation and practice, and it has been useful for me in situations such as exam revision. However, memorisation does not equate to understanding. For example, if I asked you to recite a poem, you might remember the words, but you wouldn’t necessarily understand their individual significance. Moreover, excessive repetition makes homework become boring, in which students end up seeing homework as a burden rather than a learning opportunity.
With this, it is clear that there are several issues with homework as a whole, such as its detrimental effects on both the mental and physical health of students, having a lack of effectiveness on students’ academic performance, and affecting precious family relationships. Thus, I believe that homework is just a waste of time, and schools should focus on ensuring good lesson quality rather than slamming piles of homework on our desks.