THE EFFECTIVENESS OF “NO HOMEWORK

POLICY” FOR GRADE 10 STUDENTS OF

HOLY CROSS OF AGDAO
AUGUST 29, 2019 BY: ITCHIE G. CABAYAN

Among the most burning issues these days is the ‘no homework policy’ being pushed by some
lawmakers.

Students, teachers, parents and even politicians have joined the bandwagon and issued their take on the
issue and yet, it seems that no one has taken the initiative to conduct a public hearing that will explore all
angles, weigh the pros and cons and then formulate ways so that those for and against and all
stakeholders may meet halfway.

Of all the pronouncements made, what caught the ire of many is the proposed House Bill filed by Quezon
City Representative Alfred Vargas. His proposed HB 3883 limits the giving of homeworks to students to
weekends, citing that ‘a few landmark studies have suggested that homework does impact upon family
life, in some cases in a negative way… yet in general, it is positively associated with academic
achievement.

This is fine, except that Vargas’ proposed bill went a bit far as it reportedly contains a provision where he
wants teachers to be fined P50,000 or face imprisonment for one to two years if she or he will violate the
no-homework policy.

In effect, he wants to ‘criminalize’ the giving of assignments on the part of teachers, which is totally
outrageous.

Recently, I have watched lawmakers, students, faculty members and even psychiatrists being
interviewed left and right regarding their stand on the controversial issue.

Having been a product of classic education myself, I strongly believe that homework or assignments
must really be part and parcel of a student’s life.

During those days when I was a student, there were no cellphones or computers yet, so that we relied on
books, physical research and frequented libraries. The ‘copy paste’ system now being enjoyed by
students was unheard of.

The way technology has made things a trillion times easier for students these days makes it difficult to
understand why and how they could afford to complain about homeworks, if they involve research only.

I guess the problem is education on the part of teachers who give ‘impossible’ assignments, or the kind
that is beyond the capability of their students. They should be able to assess if the homework or projects
they assign would not be possible without the help of parents.

The good education secretary, Leonor Briones, is correct in saying that most homeworks are done either
by the parents or nannies. So, there must be an adjustment on the part of the teachers to give homework
that can well be done by their students.
Homework hones a student’s ability to be creative, organizational, responsible and disciplined, as well as
developing good study habits, independent problem-solving skills and attitude toward work and working
on deadlines.

Some say students must be spared from homework so they can get into sports or get to have more
bonding time with their families.

Bet your bottom dollar. Most, if not all these students will just find more time to stay glued to their
gadgets and waste away precious time on social media. Time which would have been well spent on
learning.

In other countries, homework is guided by what is called, ‘the ten-minute rule’ which recommends a daily
maximum of 10 minutes of homework per grade level’.   An online article said that ‘the most
comprehensive research on homework to date comes from a 2006 meta-analysis by Duke University
psychology professor Harris Cooper, who found evidence of a positive correlation between homework
and student achievement, meaning students who did homework performed better in school.’

In the same article, Cooper was quoted thus: ‘A good way to think about homework is the way you think
about medications or dietary supplements. If you take too little, they’ll have no effect. If you take too
much, they can kill you. If you take the right amount, you’ll get better.’
 DepEd supports proposed no-homework policy
By: Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) has expressed its support for the no-
homework policy bills proposed by lawmakers at the House of Representatives.

DepEd, in a statement released on Wednesday, August 28, said the measures would “enable learners to
have more quality time with their parents, family, and friends by limiting the homework [and]
assignment to a reasonable quantity on school days and by eliminating the same during weekends.”

It said the policy would allow students to “find balance between their academic development and
personal growth by having ample time for enjoyable activities with family.”

House Deputy Speaker Evelina Escudero and Quezon City Representative Alfred Vargas filed separate
bills in August.

Escudero filed House Bill (HB) No. 3611, which seeks to remove homework as a requirement and have
Kinder to Grade 12 students do academic activities solely within school premises.

“Homework assignments can deprive students and parents [of] precious quality time for rest, relaxation,
and interaction after schools hours and even on weekend,” the bill’s explanatory note reads.

The bill also seeks to prohibit students from taking textbooks home in order to “lighten the physical
burden of schoolchildren,” who, Escudero said, often have to carry heavy bags due to schoolwork that
has to be done beyond the school. This will apply to Kinder to Grade 6 students.

Vargas filed HB No. 3883, which seeks to eliminate homework on weekends for all elementary and
high school students.

This is so that students can “enjoy their free time from the precisions of school during weekends and
to be able to have a quality time with their family and friends.”

Vargas, in his proposal, also cited a 2018 study that featured discussions on a similar policy in a public
school in Western Cape province in South Africa. Vargas said scholars in South Africa had argued “that
homework is a burden for children and parents,” has caused the decline of family time, and even
undermines learning interest.

HB 3883 seeks to “promote and protect the physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-
being of the youth.”

While DepEd welcomed the proposals, teachers groups have slammed the proposed measures.
 The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) in a statement told Congress to instead focus on reviewing
the K to 12 curriculum.

“We are not issuing homework to burden our students. It is demanded of us by the K to 12 program,
so much [so] that our performance evaluation system ensures its implementation,” said ACT national
chairperson Joselyn Martinez.

Teacher’s Dignity Coalition said: “Our teachers are trained educators. We know the value of
homework. It's about discipline, responsibility, and continuity of learning.”

5. According to DepEd they support proposed no homework policy to balance their academic
development and personal growth and spend time with their families.

“According to Harris Cooper, he found out that doing 60 to 90 min a night in middle school and more
than 2 hours in high school is associated with gulp, lower scores” this just shows that homework is
useless items that students are forced to do. Homework can cause stress in child’s life. It can also cause
having bad attitudes and other bad behavior.

DepEd, in a statement released on Wednesday, August 28, said the measures would
“enable learners to have more quality time with their parents, family, and friends by
limiting the homework [and] assignment to a reasonable quantity on school days and by
eliminating the same during weekends.” It said the policy would allow students to “find
balance between their academic development and personal growth by having ample time
for enjoyable activities with family.” House Deputy Speaker Evelina Escudero and Quezon
City Representative Alfred Vargas filed separate bills in August. Escudero filed House Bill
(HB) No. 3611, which seeks to remove homework as a requirement and have Kinder to
Grade 12 students do academic activities solely within school premises. “Homework
assignments can deprive students and parents [of] precious quality time for rest,
relaxation, and interaction after schools hours and even on weekend,” the bill’s
explanatory note reads. The bill also seeks to prohibit students from taking textbooks
home in order to “lighten the physical burden of schoolchildren,” who, Escudero said,
often have to carry heavy bags due to schoolwork that has to be done beyond the
school. This will apply to Kinder to Grade 6 students. Vargas filed HB No. 3883, which
seeks to eliminate homework on weekends for all elementary and high school students.
This is so that students can “enjoy their free time from the precisions of school during
weekends and to be able to have a quality time with their family and friends.”