NO HOMEWORK POLICY

By: Eleonor P. Alcantara

Master Teacher-1, STES, Penaranda District

Homework, or assignment as it is what commonly called, is an opportunity for teachers to

provide individualized instruction geared specifically to an individual student. School embraces the idea
that each student is different and as such, each student has their own individual needs. Homework serves
as an opportunity to tailor lessons specifically for an individual student meeting them where they are and
bringing them to where we want them to be.

Pertaining to the idea is the recently controversial issue, the No Homework Policy which further
gained criticisms from different rights group especially to the teachers. Subject to violation of the act,
violators shall face a fine of P50, 000.00 and jail time of up to 2 years, as included in the bill proposed by
Quezon City Representative and actor Alfred Vargas only to know that the penalty is just an “Honest
Mistake” committed by his secretary. Even so, his stand still remains for the bill.

Opposition

As the argument side sees it, homework is one of the vital roles in education because it
gives students the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom. This can be seen
in two parts—not only giving students practice in developing good work habits and methods but
also creatively applying the educational contents. In wise man’s point of view, the task of doing
homework enables extra knowledge that can be absorbed in a few hours of a school day. And
opposite of how the public sees it that it will hinder family bonding, it actually encourages
parents to become more attentive to their children’s educational activities.

According to the different teachers’ rights group, as a response to the proposed bill,
despite of the fact that the concern for the welfare of students and their families is reasonable, it
is still not enough to say that the welfare will not be hurt in the long run if the students fall short
of the knowledge that they should access, problem-solving development and parental awareness
and involvement in their educational activities. As a result of a “no homework” policy, students
will be unnoticeably less prepared for higher education or the workforce.

Other Side of the Argument

With the issue at hand, the Department of Education is somehow at the range of approval
to the said policy, prohibiting teachers from assigning academic work to be completed by
students outside of regular school hours, saying that it is beneficial to Filipino students.
 The definite stand of the said policy advocates apparently take into account the welfare of
students, their families and teachers. Excessive homework — or to state the argument more
accurately, any homework at all — is physically taxing on students, many of them very young,
after they have already spent a full strenuous day in the classroom. Projects that students are
expected to complete at home often pose a burdensome expense on parents, who may not have a
ready budget for the last-minute purchase of needed materials. Assigning homework also adds to
the workload of teachers, who must grade these assignments in addition to their everyday work
of preparing lessons. These are the points emphasized by the supporting parties regarding the
proposed bill.

Although the most of the teachers are not on the same side, DepEd supported the bill
proposing the banning of homework to learners from kinder to grade 12 in both public and
private schools. In a statement released, DepEd reiterates its “commitment to the holistic
development of learners inside and outside the classroom” with its issuance of the “Guidelines
on Giving Homework or Assignment to All Public Elementary School Pupils,” otherwise known
as DepEd Memorandum No. 392, series 2010.

Fortunately, with the bill still as a proposal, the Department of Education (DepEd) said
that it will further study the possible repercussions of the policy on the current teaching and
learning procedures in schools.

Visualization

Filipinos have been exercising homework since the education than woke in the country.
So far, there have been no indication that Filipino students have suffered through stressful school
activities, or homework compared to the bigger counterpart like Japan and Korea where suicide
has high rates. Apparently, this just shows that Filipino students are somehow strong no matter
what task they will be given. In a brighter side, homework is considered as a tool for practice but
only given when necessary, to avoid dishing out extra stress and hindering a student's social
growth.

In one way or another, homework is just like every other thing in life, an accomplishment
whenever you succeed.

Sources and References

 blog.edukasyon.ph
 www.philippinebasiceducation.us
 businessmirror.com.ph
 philstar.com.ph