According to Dictionary.com, homework is defined as “school work assigned to be done outside of the classroom.” Many people argue whether homework should be taken away or kept around. Some believe homework puts an unnecessary amount of stress on students, and others believe it helps strengthen the teachings from what they have taught during the day.
The stress and anxiety that stems from homework is often overseen. Students have shown signs of extensive demand from academic work outside of their everyday classes. When teachers provide students with many hours of homework, it leads students to develop vast majorities of mental health issues. Various studies have shown that loads of homework can even disturb students’ physical health, like sleep deprivation.
In many ways, homework is seen as busy work, rather than a helpful addition to classroom learning. Without needing to complete homework at home, if teachers could make the class more focused on appealing teaching methods during the class time. This could allow for more participation from students which would make the learning process more effective.
“I think it depends on the class but there are many times where the homework is just busy work that is unrelated to what is on the test,” Noor Awadallah ‘26 said.
Students tend to rush through their assignments for the sole purpose of completing it rather than learning from it.
“I think homework is often more busy work because people rush to do it and don’t understand because they don’t have to in order to complete the assignment,” Alex Lopez ‘26 said.
When at home, students have many distractions surrounding them, which can prevent students from getting their work done efficiently and prevent them from retaining the information previously taught.
While some believe homework should be taken away because of the many problems it causes, there are some benefits as well.
Homework provides an opportunity for students to express what they have learned during class, and teachers are then able to see how well students are receiving information from class. Also, if a student is struggling with something in class, homework can supply them with extra practice.
“I don’t think homework should be taken away completely because a lot of the homework we get is to help us with tests and learning,” Maddie Byer ‘26 said.
Abolishing homework entirely could lift stress off of students, but it could also remove skill developments. A balanced approach that could highlight quality over quantity so students can get homework without the additional stress. Teachers could rethink how much homework is assigned and make sure it has a meaningful purpose. All in all, teachers can create a more effective learning environment for all students through a balanced effort.