Opinion: Should We Assign Weekend Homework?
Many schools around the world look for the best ways to set their students up for success. Students are assigned in-class projects to teach time management skills, group work to teach teamwork and collaboration, and independent worksheets to test proficiency on a daily basis. From elementary school to high school, the constant buildup of these in-class assignments can be overwhelming.
Many teachers and schools tend to assign homework to test the ability of their students and if they retain the information. University of the People indicates that homework often has positive effects, such as encouraging extra practice and allowing parents to review what their child is learning. It can also help teachers manage their lessons in a more organized fashion by allowing students to prepare for the next day’s lecture. However, critics argue that homework should only be limited to weekdays and should be avoided on the weekend breaks. According to TheBirdFeed.org, various teachers themselves argue that weekend homework encourages little academic growth and just “stresses out the students.” This information leads to the pressing question: should weekend homework continue to be assigned?
From a student’s point of view, homework over the weekend is not a helpful tool for further academic proficiency. One high school student I interviewed suggests that “these days, so many students are stressed and I believe that is because they don’t have enough time to wind down. Weekends are supposed to serve that purpose, but the practice of giving homework on weekends takes that away.” Another high school student states that “a small amount [of homework] should be given so that the students still remember the stuff,” but asks that teachers refrain from giving out a lot “because then the students would only be doing homework during their weekends.” It is clear that both of these students believe that weekend homework takes away from the much-needed rest that all students deserve. However, this information is only given from a high-school student’s perspective. How do lower-grade level children feel about it?
One fifth-grader suggests that “weekend homework is necessary, but not much should be given.” The difference in a fifth-grader’s opinion and a high-schooler’s opinion is not greatly evident, but it can be seen that elementary schoolers are more comfortable with the idea of weekend homework itself, due to the little amount of work they receive in general. However, both groups of students are more against it than for it. [I think you should keep here your “However, this information is only given from a high-school student’s perspective?” sentence and then maybe say “How do teachers feel about it?” Then transition to teacher’s POV] According to TheBirdFeed.org, teachers are also against weekend assignments due to a projected increase in stress levels. However, those that do support it point out the benefits of keeping extra practice methods at home. Overall, it is deemed to increase anxiety by both students and teachers, which shows that it may not really be worth the added pressure after all.