No homework’ policy is no good

WE do not agree with the position of the Department of Education (DepEd) that a “no homework”
policy, prohibiting teachers from assigning academic work to be completed by students outside of
regular school hours, is beneficial to Filipino students.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones recently engaged in a public pitch for the policy, which is now the
subject of a couple of pending bills in Congress. We have a great deal of respect for Secretary Briones’
knowledge and experience as an educator, and her arguments in favor of the policy should be given
careful consideration. Doing just that, however, leads to the conclusion that a solution other than what
she and supportive legislators are proposing is in order.

The arguments for a “no homework” policy ostensibly 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.

By banning homework, all these problems are avoided. Students are afforded proper time for rest and
relaxation, and families are spared the burden of unforeseen expenses, or time spent shopping for
required materials that may be difficult to find on short notice. Teachers are also spared the extra time
and effort to check homework assignments, and can devote more time to classroom preparation and
work. Secretary Briones has also suggested the policy would be beneficial in allowing more time for
children and parents to bond socially.

Those are all very reasonable considerations. Unfortunately, they completely overlook the trade-offs
that may be more harmful in the long run by eroding the quality of education, and as a consequence,
the future competitiveness of young Filipinos.

Homework is a vital part of education, because it gives students the opportunity to apply knowledge
gained in the classroom. This occurs in two ways — not only by creatively applying the educational
content, but also in giving students practice in developing good work habits and methods. From a
practical point of view, homework allows “more education” than can be fit into a few hours of a school
day. And far from preventing families from bonding, homework encourages parents to become more
involved in their children’s educational activities.

Although the concern for the welfare of students and their families is appropriate, that welfare will be
hurt in the long run if the students fall short of the volume of educational content they can access,
developing problem-solving and creative thinking skills, and parental awareness and involvement in
their educational activities. As a result of a “no homework” policy, Filipino students will be less prepared
for higher education or the workforce, and ultimately the entire country will suffer the consequences.

We suggest that, rather than a “no homework” policy, DepEd should review and modify existing policies
regarding homework to ensure that they meet productive goals. Homework should have clear
educational objectives, and certainly should not pose undue physical and financial burdens on students
and their families. Those standards can be achieved, however, without resorting to banning homework
entirely, and still ensure that our youth are adequately prepared to take on the challenges of a
competitive world.