Most woking adults end work at five P.M., but high school students need to continue their work into all hours of the night, just for the work to be judged by someone and a grade slapped onto the paper. High school homework takes a big chunk of the short hours we have between the end of school and bedtime, if not all of it. This results in limited family time, exhaustion, and limited afterschool activities. Homework is absolutely not necessary and high school students should not be forced to do work outside of school and on weekends.
The average high school student goes to school for six hours a day five times a week, meaning they go to school for about 30 hours a week. Alongside school, students play sports and have jobs that teach them responsibility. By the time students get home from after school activities, homework takes up the rest of their time before bed. The homework keeps the students up late which results in exhaustion the next school day. Homework adds an unhealthy burden to the day cycle because of how long it takes. Homework affects students’ grades, and so if we want a good grade in classes, it is required we do it. The homework isn’t a choice, so we are being forced to do work out of school and on weekends in order to keep our grades up.
Homework also prevents students from spending time with their family. A lot of people just get to eat a quick dinner, if any dinner at all and need to go do homework. A healthy relationship with family is a crucial part of life and should not be debatable. Homework puts a huge obstacle in this because many nights I find that I don’t even talk to my mom due to the fact that I have 13 assignments due the following day and simply do not have time. Because I live between two houses I sometimes go days without really seeing and talking to my mom. Even on weekends we are forced to do work that will be due on Monday which is absolutely ridiculous because everyone else has weekends off, but we are still stuck doing work.
Some people, such as teachers and administrators may argue that homework is a tool to keep information in our brains because “our time together in class is limited” says Mrs. Pozin, the AP Literature teacher here at Goffstown. Homework may be a useful tool; however, we are in school for enough hours a day to learn what is needed without needed homework every night. School should be a place of learning and home needs to be a safe place to spend time with family. Many students say the homework given is simply a lot of busy work. This busy work determines how we do in school, and ultimately, that isn’t fair because most students rush through to get to their next assignment. “It doesn’t reinforce what we are already learning” says Brady McCann who believes homework is illogical.
I do not think all homework is astronomical, AP classes should require some level of homework due to the fact the students will be taking the AP exam which determines college credit. AP homework is good practice for something in the actual future and time should be taken on it, but other classes such as open classes giving homework takes away from AP practice which puts AP homework in the same loop of being rushed through. Some solutions to this homework dilemma would be only AP classes having homework or homework only being material we did not finish in class. During class the work should be our responsibility, and if we do not finish, then bring it home; however, no extra material should be given. Homework takes a lot of time and energy out of high school students and takes away important time that can be used to connect to people. Homework should not be allowed to determine your grade because it is not fair that we need to sit for hours a night trying to weave through piles of work.
