Should Homework Be Banned: Advantages & Disadvantages of After-Class Tasks

Homework has been around since time immemorial. It is fun for some students but not a cup of tea for others. Some experts even think that homework should be done away with and they have reasons to support their argument. However, some still believe that the benefits of having home assignments far much outweigh the cons. Students who try to petition against homework are labelled as lazy. Others just think that the amount given is unnecessarily too much. Extra school tasks should be within reason1 for them to be of maximum benefit to the students.

It is no doubt that homework has many proven benefits to a student. On the other hand, there are several disadvantages attached to it that give the anti-homework camp a valid case. Whatever the case, students and parents have the responsibility to co-operate with their teachers and decide on what is best for them. After all, it is just for a season since they will not be students forever. Some of the advantages and disadvantages of homework as given by experts are as follows:

Advantages of Homework

  • Time management improvement. With students having some school work to do at home, they will manage their time better. Instead of playing or watching the television all day, they will allocate some time for assignments.
  • Improved sense of independence. Trusting the students to do their assignments from home makes them more independent. They believe they can do it on their own and this way they can tap into their strengths.
  • Less Screen time. Left on their own, young people can remain glued on their screens forever. Having homework helps them to minimize screen time so that they can work on their assignments.
  • Preparation for examinations. Some home assignments are given right before examinations. These help the students to practice what they have been learning in class to prepare them better for examinations.
  • Research skills enhancement. Mostly, homework involves a bit of research. Students enhance their research skills and find out a lot that is not in the classroom set up.

Disadvantages of Homework

  • Extra Work. This is especially for college students who already have too much to handle. A student who has a job or an internship to attend will find it more challenging to tackle homework.
  • Less time for recreation. Everyone needs time for fun and recreational activities. Students are no exception. Homework may eat up their time to be with friends or to attend play which is also necessary.
  • Overworking little brains. This mostly applies to young kids whose brains are still developing. Schoolwork plus too much homework puts pressure on the kids’ brains. They get stressed up and this is bad for them.

In Conclusion

Based on the argument above, it is clear that homework has both positive and negative effects on students at whatever level of education. However, most experts and college students believe that homework does more good than harm. That said, those who find it hard to cope with these extra tasks can engage the services of an expert.

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