Who is Affected?

Many research articles show that homework causes massive stress if given too much. In Finland, the schools decided to give only 30 minutes of homework to all to the kids, and they found that the grades went up, as the children were less stressed and happier. And now, Finland is one of the most academically achieved countries in the world.

Another study that occurred was when a high school math teacher in the USA conducted an experiment. He gave his students homework for the first semester, then he made them take a test. Then, the next semester he gave his kids no homework and made them take the same test (Of the sorts) and their grades skyrocketed. These are only two of the many experiments done proving that no homework raises students grades.

6th-grade student of Singapore American School, Nick Rathband, says “Homework is the worst. I always find myself procrastinating*, then getting stressed about it. It sucks, really.” This is just one example of how students get stressed out by homework. A teacher at Singapore American School Wendy Windust gives her opinion on homework. “The relevance of the work depends on the purpose. I give practice homework sometimes or reading. I do not agree with giving kids homework just to give out extra work, though.” What Mrs. Windust means by this is that she doesn’t agree with homework just to give out extra work, but she does believe in homework that could give her student’s practice at home.

What are the Suicide Rates for Homework and Schoolwork?

While homework may be a battle that students and teachers are fighting, a sure sign that homework may be too much are the suicide rates. Statistics show that every year 200,000 teenagers worldwide commit suicide while about 4 million students attempt it, all because of schoolwork. Every one of these deaths is a friend, a brother, a sister, a child, and a best friend lost. If this isn’t a red flag, then what is?

How does Homework Affect a Student’s Daily Life?

While most teachers believe in the power of learning at home, students argue that school is enough. For example, If each teacher (Including electives) assigns 30 minutes of homework to their students, that means that if everyone has 5 classes a day, that means 2 hours and 50 minutes of homework, on top of 7 hours at school. So, that means that the student is working for 9 hours and 50 minutes each day, and they’re still expected to get over 8 hours of sleep and socialize. Some people may argue that this work is still necessary, but all of the research fights against that. Homework corrupts the students’ social life, and their sleeping hours are limited. This is unhealthy, and stress and pressure do crazy things to the brain, triggering anxiety, depression, and can be the root of other mental health issues. Also, doing too much homework can lead to physical illness as well. Studies show that stress can take it’s toll on not only the brain but on the body, too.

Is Homework Actually Legal?

In a CNN interview, 10-year-old Ben Berrafato puts a different view on homework. “Homework is assigned to students without their permission. Therefore, homework is slavery. Slavery was abolished with the passing of the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution. So, every school in America has been run illegally for the past 143 years.” Ben may be right, but everyone has a different opinion on the legality of homework. The definition of slavery is “A condition of having to work very hard without proper remuneration or appreciation.” And this devastatingly describes homework on point. Teachers may appreciate the work you do, but from surveys, kids often feel under appreciated. Now we know that homework is not only unhealthy but also may be illegal, and schools still haven’t fixed this problem.